SSM St. Mary's Achieves National Heart-Attack Care Standard for Third Year

has met a national standard for unblocking heart-attack patients' arteries for three years in a row. SSM Heart Institute made the announcement about the hospital Tuesday in a news release.

"A heart attack is a time-critical condition," stated Dr. John Kilgore, medical director of SSM Heart Institute. "Every minute that passes reduces the chances for a good outcome or survival."

The distinction means hospital staff helped unblock their heart-attack patients' arteries within 90 minutes of their arrival at the hospital.

The heart institute has worked with local emergency responders to train staff in identifying signs that an artery is blocked, the release states. Emergency responders can call the SSM cardiac catheterization labs and talk with an expert while the patient is traveling to the hospital.

"This phenomenal achievement is possible because of the great work our cath labs and emergency departments do every day to achieve best care and best results," stated Kate Becker, service line executive for the heart institute and president of St. Mary's. "They have adopted clinical best practices and put a number of processes in place across the network to reduce the time it takes to treat heart attack patients. This success also speaks to an effective partnership with area ambulance districts to expedite heart attack care in the field."

February is American Heart Month.