Nash UNC Health Care Earns Six National Awards for Heart & Stroke Care

Nash UNC Health Care has received recognition from the American Heart Association (AHA) and American Stroke Association (ASA) with six awards for industry-leading performance in heart and stroke care.

“For the sixth year, Nash UNC is being recognized as an industry leader in heart and stroke care. These national awards are a credit to our experienced and dedicated team members who are committed to providing exceptional care for our patients every day,” said Dr. L. Lee Isley, president and CEO of Nash UNC Health Care.

Nash UNC’s awards include the AHA’s Mission: Lifeline for both Gold STEMI Receiving and Gold NSTEMI, as well as "Get With The Guidelines” Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, which includes two additional recognitions, Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.

The Nash Heart Center also received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2022, and is one of only 240 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor.

To earn these awards, Nash UNC Health Care had to meet specific and rigorous criteria and performance standards that aim to increase the quality and timeliness of care for heart attack and stroke patients.

“These national awards confirm that we provide consistent, efficient, and high-quality healthcare for our community,” said Dr. Michael Yeung, Medical Director of Nash Heart Center. “Because of the close partnership the Nash UNC Emergency Department and our local EMS teams have, we are able to work together to more effectively and efficiently treat heart and stroke emergencies in our community. I am proud of everyone who plays a part in making this level of care possible, right here at home.”

To qualify for the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll recognition, Nash UNC had to meet specific quality measures for 12 consecutive months based on the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score” developed by the ASA that proves hospitals are equipped to provide high quality care for this patient population

“We are proud to be recognized with these awards, as it shows that we strive to ensure all patients receive the best care possible when they enter our doors,” said Janet Ragle, Director of Quality and Performance at Nash UNC.

For more information on heart and stroke care, visit www.nashunchealthcare.org. 

What are STEMI and NSTEMI?

Interventional Cardiologist Michael Yeung explains, “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.”