Norton Healthcare takes steps to improve outcomes for heart attack patients
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 16, 2008): Individuals experiencing heart attacks in Metro Louisville now have a better chance of surviving the attack and minimizing heart damage, thanks to steps taken by Norton Healthcare recently.
The Norton Healthcare Board of Trustees approved spending $100,000 to equip Louisville Metro Emergency Medical Services ambulances with technology that allows heart attack victims’ test results to be transmitted to Norton Audubon Hospital, Norton Hospital, Norton Suburban Hospital or Kosair Children’s Hospital for review and assessment before the patient arrives. This increases the likelihood of improved outcomes and shorter hospital stays.
“Although EMS staff previously had been able to perform 12-lead electrocardiographs on their patients en route to the hospital, emergency department personnel did not see those test results until the ambulance arrived,” said Michael Esposito, system vice president of cardiovascular and pulmonary services, Norton Healthcare. “This is valuable time lost for a heart attack victim. With the new technology, hospital personnel can be ready and waiting for the patient.”
This development comes on the heels of recent significant reductions Norton Audubon Hospital has made in its door-to-balloon (D2B) times by revising its catheterization lab (cath lab) activation process.
Under the previous system, patients who came to the emergency room exhibiting symptoms of a heart attack had to be examined by a cardiologist before the cath lab could be activated. ER staff and members of the cath lab team recognized this as an area for improvement, so they conducted an analysis to determine how to revise the system. Several strategies were designed and implemented to significantly reduce the D2B time based on best practices for treating patients presenting symptoms of possible heart attack in the emergency department.
“Under the new process, emergency department physicians can activate the cath lab without a cardiologist’s review,” Esposito said. “This means patients having a heart attack receive medical assistance much faster.”
Prior to this process improvement, Norton Audubon Hospital’s D2B median time was 96 minutes. Afterward, it dropped to 66 minutes, a 30-minute improvement. An article outlining the success of the new process was featured in an e-mail newsletter called D2B Times, and another appeared in Cardiology magazine, published by the American College of Cardiology.
“I am proud of the accomplishments of the D2B team and ER staff,” Esposito said. “Their dedication and hard work have paid off in a new process that will save many lives. When combined with the new EMS-based equipment, the improvement in outcomes for heart attack patients will be even more significant.”
About Norton Heart Care
Norton Heart Care is one of Norton Healthcare’s five areas of clinical excellence. Each year, Norton Heart Care treats more than 40,000 patients at Norton Healthcare’s four hospitals and specialty clinics in Louisville. Norton Heart Care encompasses all cardiovascular services, including diagnostic, medical, interventional and surgical care. Norton Audubon Hospital is Norton Heart Care’s largest and most comprehensive provider of cardiovascular services. The hospital was the site of the world’s second, and most successful, artificial heart transplant in 1984 and currently is a world leader in heart laser surgery. In addition to Norton Audubon, Norton Hospital and Kosair Children’s Hospital in downtown Louisville also provide comprehensive cardiovascular care. The Congenital Heart Center at Kosair Children’s Hospital is the state’s only center dedicated to treating children and adults with congenital heart defects. Diagnostic and cardiac catheterization services are available at Norton Suburban Hospital. The Norton Women’s Heart Center at Norton Suburban was the first center in Kentucky and among the first in the nation dedicated to diagnosing and educating women about heart disease. Norton Heart Care cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation centers are located at Norton Audubon Hospital, Norton Hospital and Norton Suburban Hospital.
