Los Robles Health System nationally recognized for its commitment to quality care for heart attacks in Southern California

Los Robles Health System has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Center Bronze recognition for its commitment to offering rapid, research-based care to people experiencing a specific type of heart attack called an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), known to be more severe and dangerous than other types of heart attacks. 

Each year, about 285,000 people in the U.S. experience this type of heart attack, caused by a complete blockage in a coronary artery. Nearly 40 percent of people who go to the emergency room with acute coronary syndrome are diagnosed with a STEMI. Like all heart attacks, this requires timely treatment to restore blood flow as quickly as possible. 

Recognition as a STEMI Receiving Center is designed to showcase hospitals that provide 24/7 support for STEMI. These important facilities coordinate with a network of referring hospitals and emergency medical services to provide guideline-directed care for STEMI and NSTEMI, Non-ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction, a type of heart attack where blood flow to the heart is partially blocked and causes damage to the heart muscle. 

“Effective and timely care is crucial for patients experiencing a STEMI heart attack. The American Heart Association’s guidelines call for specific interventions for these patients both in-hospital and post-hospitalization,” said Abhinav Goyal, M.D., MHS, FACC, FAHA, volunteer chair of the American Heart Association Coronary Artery Disease System of Care Advisory Group.

The STEMI Receiving Center award is earned by hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to treating patients according to the most up-to-date research-based guidelines for STEMI care as outlined by the American Heart Association.  

“Los Robles Health System is dedicated to improving the quality of heart care and the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines program helps us achieve that goal,” said Nicholas Johnson, chief operating officer of Los Robles Health System “The program puts proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis so patients have the best possible chance of survival. We are proud to be recognized as an institution that is setting the standard for the treatment of cardiovascular disease,” stated Johnson.