EMH Participates in Cardiac Simulation Exercise
07/24/2009
For Immediate Release
CONTACT:
Kristen R. Davis - EMH Regional Healthcare System
(440) 326-5428
ELYRIA, OH - When a heart attack strikes, mere minutes can mean the difference between life and death. The cardiac team at EMH Regional Medical Center had its response time tested yesterday, when researchers from Western Michigan University, in partnership with the American College of Cardiology, brought a simulation exercise to the hospital. The exercise was intended to look at EMH's performance when treating heart attack patients.
EMH Regional Medical Center is part of the American College of Cardiology's database of hospitals working to reduce heart attack treatment time and improve patient outcomes. EMH was one of 15 hospitals nationwide selected for this new project aimed at helping hospitals maintain their excellent performance and improve it even further.
Dr. Bill Hamman, the principal investigator on the team, who is an airline pilot as well as a cardiologist, said that a simulation was conducted using an actress who posed as a patient with heart attack symptoms. From the ER to the cardiac catheterization lab, the EMH cardiac team's response to the actress' symptoms was documented in a video, which was reviewed by paramedics from the LaGrange EMS team, along with EMH emergency department and cardiac staff to identify ways the teams could work even better together. In the cardiac catheterization lab, an endovascular simulator was used which mimicked the actress having an angioplasty procedure performed.
In addition to the female actress, a simulation involving a male actor took place in the morning. The male actor was transported via ambulance from a local restaurant in LaGrange, Ohio. In both cases, EMH's response time to insert a coronary stent into the artery to open the blockage - called "Door to Balloon Time," was approximately 30 minutes - well under the national benchmark of 90 minutes.
"We are going to send a report to EMH Regional Medical Center, including a video, because it is very powerful to go through and analyze the data we've captured about their systems, processes and teamwork improvement," said Hamman.
"Today was another way to help us learn where we can continue to make improvements, work as a team, and provide safe, effective care for our patients," said Char Wray, Vice President of Clinical Operations for EMH. "The report from the researchers will be an excellent tool for our ongoing quality improvement processes."
About EMH Regional Healthcare System
EMH Regional Healthcare System's mission is to improve the health of our community through safe, high-quality and cost-effective care. To fulfill this mission, EMH Regional Medical Center, Amherst Hospital, The EMH Center for Health & Fitness in Avon, and a multi-disciplinary medical staff provide services to meet the needs of the community. EMH Regional Medical Center was founded in 1908 as a community hospital and has evolved into one of the nation's 100 Top Hospitals.
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