Freeman Honored with Two Mission Lifeline Achievement Awards

Freeman Health System has received the Mission: Lifeline® Silver Receiving Quality Achievement Award and NSTEMI Silver Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association® for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks.

Every year, more than 250,000 individuals experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the most deadly type of heart attack, which is caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it is critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication. An NSTEMI is usually caused by a severely narrowed artery but the artery is usually not completely blocked. 

The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program’s goal is to reduce system barriers to prompt treatment for heart attacks, beginning with the 911 call and continuing through hospital treatment.

“Freeman is dedicated to improving quality of care for patients who suffer a heart attack, and the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program is helping us accomplish that goal with nationally respected clinical guidelines,” said Paula F. Baker, Freeman President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are pleased to be recognized for our dedication and achievements in cardiac care, and I am very proud of our team.”

“We commend Freeman for these achievement awards, which reflect a significant institutional commitment to the highest quality of care for their heart attack patients,” said Tim Henry, MD, Chair of the Mission: Lifeline Acute Coronary Syndrome Subcommittee. “We applaud them for their commitment to their critical role in the system of care for quickly and appropriately treating heart attack patients.”

Freeman earned the awards by meeting specific criteria and standards of performance for the quick and appropriate treatment of STEMI patients by providing emergency procedures to re-establish blood flow to blocked arteries when needed. Eligible hospitals must adhere to these measures at a set level for 12 consecutive months to receive these awards.

About Freeman Health System
Locally owned, not-for-profit and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and Ozark Center – the area’s largest provider of behavioral health services – as well as two urgent care clinics, dozens of physician clinics and a variety of specialty services. In 2019, Freeman earned dozens of individual awards for medical excellence and patient safety from CareChex®, a quality rating system that helps consumers evaluate healthcare providers. With more than 300 physicians on staff representing more than 70 specialties, Freeman provides cancer care, heart care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, children’s services and women’s services. Additionally, Freeman is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius. For more information, visit freemanhealth.com.