On Monday, May 9, 2016, Baxter Regional Ambulance Services, in association with BRMC and the American Heart Association, was presented an award for exceptional cardiac care in our community. This award is called the Arkansas STEMI Mission:Lifeline GOLD Award and is the first of its type ever presented in Arkansas.

STEMI is an acronym used in the medical field that is a shorthand for "ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction" and simply means heart attack. A heart attack is a blocked artery in the heart that causes the chest pain that may be experienced in the event of the heart attack. When this artery becomes blocked, the heart muscle does not get the blood and oxygen that it needs to pump blood to the body, and the heart begins to die.

If a heart attack goes on without intervention, it will likely be fatal. The earlier treatment begins, the better the outcome for the patient. Doctorsandrsquo; first line of defense is for the patient to take an aspirin when the heart attack begins because it will help by thinning the blood.

BRMC has some of the most advanced methods to correct a blocked artery in the heart by offering cardiac coverage with a Cath Lab open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Today, when a patient is identified with a heart attack, they are taken immediately to a Cath Lab where a cardiologist routes a controllable, thin wire up into the blocked artery. The blockage is cleared to allow the blood to once again flow freely.

The Arkansas STEMI Mission:Lifeline GOLD Award was presented to BRMC by Cammie Marti, RN, MPH, PhD, Director, QSI at American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, Fayetteville, Arkansas.