Gold Cross Ambulance receives gold award from American Heart Association

Ambulance service is recognized for outstanding care of heart attack patients

MENASHA, Wis. – Gold Cross Ambulance Service has received the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Mission: Lifeline STEMI Systems of Care EMS Gold Level Recognition Award. This is the second consecutive year Gold Cross has been recognized by AHA. In 2014, the AHA recognized Gold Cross with a Silver Award. Collaboration among pre-hospital and hospital providers is the essence of Mission: Lifeline, and through the award, the AHA recognizes the vital importance EMS providers bring to saving people experiencing a heart attack.

Code STEMI (ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction) is the process for treating all heart attack patients within the first 90 minutes of an attack. ST refers to the ST segment — the portion of the EKG that health care providers look at. Myocardial infarction, or MI, is the clinical term for heart attacks. Every year, almost 300,000 people experience a STEMI, a type of heart attack caused by a complete blockage of blood flow to the heart. To prevent death, it’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by surgically opening the blocked vessel or by giving clot-busting medication.

“This national recognition is amazing, and cements how hard our paramedics and EMTs work every day,” said Samantha Hilker, paramedic, staff development manager and clinical educator with Gold Cross Ambulance Service. “We can see the positive impact on our patients and their lives on a daily basis, and to receive this award confirms our team puts our mission and vision into practice on each and every call.”

The Mission: Lifeline award recognizes Gold Cross’s STEMI program/protocol, a cooperative effort with Affinity Health System and ThedaCare. Gold Cross is jointly owned by Affinity and ThedaCare. The EMS protocols and procedures are a cooperative endeavor designed to harmonize the protocols and processes used by Gold Cross and both health systems to help save lives.

This partnership allows Gold Cross paramedics to rapidly identify the STEMI, promptly notify the hospital and trigger an early response from the awaiting emergency personnel in the emergency department. Both Affinity and ThedaCare cardiologists assist Gold Cross with education and training to keep paramedics on the cutting edge of STEMI care. The emergency department physicians and cardiologists trust Gold Cross paramedics to diagnose STEMI in the field based on EKG interpretation, patient history and assessment findings.

“The STEMI program’s main goal is to get the patient from their home to the cath lab, bypassing the ER unless absolutely necessary,” said Julie Ludwig, supervisor of Cardiovascular Specialty Services at ThedaCare’s Appleton Medical Center. “This involves calling in the entire cath lab team at 3 a.m. if needed.”

Gold Cross paramedics are always learning. The Chest Pain Center coordinators and chest pain teams at both health systems include Gold Cross’s Hilker in case reviews so she can share the feedback with the crews on the scene, highlight what Gold Cross does really well, and identify areas of improvement.

“We review and assess each case after it happens to ensure we continue to improve,” said Jennifer Szczytko, manager of STEMI, Stroke and Trauma at Affinity Health System. “We accredit our lower than the industry average door-to-balloon time to the pre-hospital care the Gold Cross Ambulance paramedics provide. They are a part of our team.”

Gold Cross Ambulance provides paramedic-level care for 911 medical emergencies, and non-emergency transport services to more than 260,000 people in 1,200 square miles of portions of Outagamie, Winnebago, Calumet and Waupaca counties, responding to more than 18,000 calls each year. The company also brings EMS expertise to the region through its management services, making it the only not-for-profit, regional ambulance service in the state. Gold Cross Ambulance is jointly owned by Affinity Health System and ThedaCare. To learn more about Gold Cross Ambulance, visit www.goldcross.org

About Mission: Lifeline

The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® program helps hospitals and emergency medical services develop systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for STEMI patients. The program works by mobilizing teams across the continuum of care to implement American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology clinical treatment guidelines. For more information, visit heart.org/missionlifeline.