DENVER (Sept. 22, 2010) – Centura Health, Colorado’s largest hospital and health care network, today launched the next phase of its efforts to expand the availability of world-class cardiovascular care to all corners of the state with the Centura Health Heart Attack Network.
Heart attack and stroke continue to account for more deaths and disabilities in the United States than all cancers combined. Sixty-three percent of women and 50 percent of men who have died of cardiovascular disease had no previous symptoms. It is with those devastating statistics in mind that the Centura Health Heart Attack Network, a core component of Centura Health’s Colorado Cardiac and Vascular Network, was developed to fight back against this deadly disease through improved accessibility to life-saving treatments. When minutes truly count, the network provides a seamless continuum of care that integrates the latest technology with patients, emergency and first responders, cardiologists, physicians, and nurses to speed the rapid treatment critical during a heart attack.
ABOUT THE CENTURA HEALTH HEART ATTACK NETWORK:
· The new network is a key development in the evolution of Centura Health’s Colorado Cardiac and Vascular Network and reflects Centura Health’s 2020 strategic plan which calls on the state’s largest health care provider to reform health care by improving quality of care and extending its services outside the walls of its facilities.
· The network encompasses a full continuum of care that starts the moment the patient calls 911, to Emergency Medical Services/Emergency Department identification and rapid transport to treatment.
· With all cardiac catheterization laboratories beating national standards for heart attack intervention in less than 90 minutes, Centura Health is setting the standard for both the state and nation. In fact, several Centura Health facilities rank in the top one percent of hospitals in the country in rapidity of heart attack care.
· Through the use of its innovative telehealth program, Centura Health at Home has reduced hospital readmissions to eight percent, well below the national average, by managing patients with chronic heart disease.
· Centura Health has adopted the latest and best practice emergency techniques in our emergency departments, such as direct access to interventional labs.
· Leveraging the strength of a network, rather than one facility, Centura Health participates in national research databases to continue to refine national benchmarks, best practices and care.
· Prevention and early education are essential components to the Centura Health Heart Attack Network and include:
o Prevention: The Porter Cardiac Early Detection Program at Porter Adventist Hospital uses advanced testing to identify and treat arterial plaque, a major indicator of future heart attack and stroke. The program offers a multidisciplinary approach to care through collaboration between the patient, the program provider, the radiologist, the cardiologist, and the cardiac nurse practitioner.
o Education: Statewide and local resources exist for patients and emergency responders to improve the recognition of symptoms, and facilitate the steps necessary for life-saving treatment. For free, consumers can access the Heart Disease Risk Profile, an online resource and evaluation tool to determine current risk factors, how to reduce and prevent risk factors, and tools for planning and adopting healthy lifestyles. Through a partnership with the American Heart Association, consumers can also receive vital CPR and AED training at no cost through the Saving Lives initiative.
o Partnership: Emergency responders and Centura Health have partnered across the state to evaluate and streamline emergency heart care. We share one goal – the best care available across the mountains and plains.
· The Centura Health Heart Attack Network includes the Centura Health network of 13 hospitals, four free-standing emergency departments, affiliated partners, more than 75 pre-hospital agencies, Centura Health at Home and Flight For Life® Colorado.
· The process for joining the Centura Health Heart Attack Network begins with an assessment by the advanced practice nurse and medical director. For more information on joining the Centura Health Heart Attack Network, contact Jeffrey Woods, director of Cardiovascular Services, Centura Health at 303-804-8163 or JeffreyWoods@Centura.org.
NATIONAL STATISTICS ON HEART ATTACKS:
· More than 6 million patients present to the emergency department (ED) each year with chest pain.
· Delayed diagnosis slows access to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and increases the risk of death and/or myocardial damage for chest pain patients.
· One third of heart attack patients die during the acute phase of the attack. Over half of these patients die before accessing medical care.
· Most patients eligible for invasive therapy do not receive PCI within the recommended 90 minutes.
Source: New England Journal of Medicine
QUOTES:
· “The Centura Health Heart Attack Network is another way we’re fighting back against the devastating effects of heart disease,” said Gary Campbell, president and CEO of Centura Health. “We are leveraging our numerous partnerships around the state with key stakeholders to implement protocols and standards to ensure a full continuum of care for those who suffer a heart attack. At the same time, we’re also leading some of the first nationally recognized efforts in the nation to improve recognition of symptoms so that we can help to prevent heart attacks before they happen.”
· “As the population ages, the burden of heart attacks is expected to increase, even with advancements in preventative therapies,” said Jeffrey Woods, director of Cardiovascular Services at Centura Health. “This reality means the emphasis has to be on education and prevention, and we’re working now to ensure that programs are available and accessible to residents around the state, and that partners are engaged on the latest technologies and resources in treating this silent killer.”
INTERVIEWS:
· Interviews are available upon request with:
· Gary Campbell, president and CEO, Centura Health
· Jeffrey Woods, director of Cardiovascular Services, Centura Health
For more information about the Centura Health network of care, visit www.centura.org.
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About Centura Health.
Centura Health is Colorado’s largest hospital and health care network and we are charting the course for the future of health care. Approximately 14,500 of the health care industry’s best and brightest with more than 6,000 physician partners, deliver advanced care to more than half a million people each year, across 13 hospitals, seven senior living communities, medical clinics, affiliated partner hospitals, Flight For Life® Colorado, and home care and hospice services. Our strength lies in our ability to offer a team of connected networks and shared resources to deliver accessible, reliable and cost-effective health care across the state. For information on Centura Health or any of the facilities in our network, please visit www.centura.org
