It is no small feat that Butler Memorial Hospital won the American College of Cardiology's NCDR Chest Pain — MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2019, said the doctor in charge of the hospital's cardiovascular services.

“It's a tremendous honor for Butler. This is no small feat. It's not one that is achieved by many around,” said Dr. Richard Begg, director of cardiovascular services for Butler Health System. “This measures how the hospital cares for people.”

Butler Memorial Hospital is one of 225 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor.

The award recognizes the hospital's success in implementing a high standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that the hospital treats those patients to standard levels of care outlined by the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.

To receive the award, the hospital demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain MI Registry for eight consecutive quarters and has performed at the top level of standards for specific performance measures.

Full participation in the registry engages hospitals in a robust quality improvement process using data to drive improvements in adherence to guideline recommendations and overall quality of care provided to heart attack patients, according to the ACC.

“The treatment of heart attacks is one of the most common conditions seen in the country. The No. 1 killer in the country is cardiovascular disease,” Begg said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 700,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year.

A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling and cardiac rehabilitation.

Begg said 20 to 25 people including doctors, nurses, technicians, laboratory staff, rehabilitation specialists and clerical employees who check in heart attack patients play vital roles in treatment and share in the credit for the award.

“It's a process that involves a lot of people from the patient on up. It can fall apart if any step is missed. Butler has done a great job with its heart team. It's the entire team that takes care of people,” Begg said. “There are so many people involved at every level. It really is a heart team approach.”

He said the National Cardiovascular Data Registry compares hospitals that choose to participate with peers across the country.

Damage to the heart occurs in six to eight hours after a heart attack, so it is critical for patients to get to a hospital within six hours, he said.

The NCDR assessment is comprehensive beginning with the patient recognizing he or she had a heart attack.

“It's a continuum of care — recognizing a heart attack, getting to the hospital, the ER (emergency room) confirming the diagnosis and getting to the (catheter) lab to open arteries,” Begg said. “Get to the ER and get to the cath lab and get to medication to reduce the threat of a repeat heart attack. It's not as simple as giving a pill or a procedure.”

Michael Kontos, a doctor at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center who chairs the NCDR Chest Pain — MI Registry Steering Subcommittee, called the hospital a leader in improving patient care.

“As a Platinum Performance Award recipient, Butler Memorial Hospital has established itself as a leader in setting the national standard for improving quality of care in patients with acute myocardial infarction,” Kontos said. “By meeting the award requirements set forth in the registry, Butler Health System has demonstrated a commitment to providing reliable, comprehensive treatment for heart attack patients based on current clinical guideline recommendations.”