Reston Hospital Center Earns Honor for Heart Attack Treatment

Reston Hospital Center has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline Silver Receiving Quality Achievement Award for implementing procedures that could help save lives following a heart attack.

Every year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) the most deadly type of heart attack caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment.

To prevent death, it’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication.

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.

“Reston Hospital Center is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our patients who suffer a heart attack, and the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program is helping us accomplish that goal through nationally respected clinical guidelines,” John Deardorff, President and CEO of Reston Hospital Center and HCA’s Northern Virginia Market, said in a statement.

“We are pleased to be recognized for our dedication and achievements in cardiac care, and I am very proud of our team.”

In addition to receiving the Mission: Lifeline Silver Receiving award, Reston Hospital Center has also been recognized as a recipient of Mission: Lifeline’s Silver-Plus award, which recognizes the hospital has reached an achievement score of 75 percent or greater for treating STEMI transfer patients from other facilities within 120 minutes.

“Achieving this award means the hospital has met specific reporting and achievement measures for the treatment of their patients who suffer heart attacks and we applaud them for their commitment to quality and timely care,” said James G. Jollis, MD, Chair of the Mission: Lifeline Advisory Working Group.

Reston Hospital Center earned the award 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 this award.