Hospital earns heart care awards

By Amelia Harper, Staff Writer

Rocky Mount Telegram 

For the third year in a row, Nash UNC Health Care has earned national recognition from the American Heart Association for its heart care.

The hospital was recently awarded the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline for both Gold STEMI Receiving and Gold NSTEMI.

“Our staff and employees work hard to make a difference in our community’s health,” Lee Isley, president and CEO of Nash UNC Health Care, said in a press release issued by the hospital. “By following these guidelines provided by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, we are doing just that. These awards are proof that we are providing consistent, fast and quality health care.”

To earn both Mission: Lifeline Gold STEMI Receiving and Gold NSTEMI, Nash UNC Health Care had to abide by strict guidelines and performance measures geared toward increasing the quality and timeliness of care for heart attack and pre-heart attack patients.

“STEMI stands for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, the deadliest type of heart attack, caused by a complete blockage of blood flow to the heart. To prevent death, it is critical to restore blood flow to the heart with a balloon or stent. Every minute counts. NSTEMI stands for a non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction, which means blockages are partial,” said Dr. Michael Yeung.

Yeung is an interventional cardiologist with UNC Cardiology at Nash and the medical director of the Nash Health Center, which opened in 2014.

“Patient care doesn’t begin when you arrive at the hospital; it begins as soon as EMS is with you. Nash County EMS, who also just received the 2019 Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Plus Recognition Award, is able to identify a heart attack through an EKG and send the results straight to the doctors at Nash UNC while they are on their way to the hospital. When you arrive, your doctor and the cath lab team are waiting for you so that we can help you as fast as we can,” Yeung said.

Isley noted that quality patient care requires collaboration.

“Patient care is a team effort. Many of our patients are received and transported by Nash County Emergency Medical Services, who play an important part in identifying and transporting heart attack patients to the Emergency Department.”

Yeung said these awards represent commitment to quality.

“We began this journey more than three years ago to improve cardiology care in the area, and we are developing a strong, consistent track record in managing very sick patients. We see it every day in our patients’ individual personal stories, but it is always gratifying to be recognized by national organizations like AHA for exceeding standards of care,” Yeung said.