May 19, 2016
Trans Am Ambulance Services EMT Ken Moore and Paramedic Jay Prosser stock a 12-lead EKG cardiac monitor on its ambulance. The device is used to caption a patient’s cardiac data on the scene and transmit the data in advance of the ambulance to the hospital for a seamless response and more immediate cardiac intervention in a catheterization lab.
Trans Am Ambulance Services in Western New York has received the American Heart Association’s 2016 Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold Award for implementing high-quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks. The ambulance company was awarded the silver award in 2015.
Every year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the deadliest type of heart attack caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication.
Mission: Lifeline seeks to save lives by closing the gaps that separate these patients from timely access to appropriate treatments. Mission: Lifeline’s EMS recognition program recognizes emergency medical services for their efforts in improving systems of care and improving the quality of life for these patients.
Agencies like Trans Am Ambulance Services that receive the Mission: Lifeline Gold award have demonstrated at least 75 percent compliance for each required achievement measure for two years.
Trans Am Ambulance Services was a local leader and early adopter of 12-lead EKG cardiac monitoring data transmissions. In 2010, Trans Am Ambulance Services purchased a 12-lead transmission server to transmit a patient’s cardiac data to the closest hospital with a catheterization lab in advance of the patient arriving in the ambulance. This allows the emergency department staff to begin preparing for the patient and be ready to immediately begin treatment upon arrival.
Trans Am continues to host the transmission server at its facility and also has opened the transmission system to local first responder agencies using compatible HeartStart MRx cardiac monitors.
“With a STEMI diagnosis, saving time saves lives,” said Todd Reisner, general manager of Trans Am. “Through coordination and communication with our local hospital and intensive training on recognition and response with our EMTs and paramedics, we have minimized the time it takes from receiving the emergency call to intervention in a catheterization lab. This award is in recognition of the excellent care we have provided to cardiac patients.”
In the past year, Trans Am Ambulance Services has identified and transported more than 323 patients with chest pain; approximately 28 of those patients were identified as STEMI heart attacks.
Emergency medical services providers are vital to the success of Mission: Lifeline. EMS agencies provide access to 12-lead EKG machines (devices that measures the electrical activity of the heartbeat and can help medical personnel determine if a heart attack has occurred), and follow protocols derived from American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guidelines. The correct tools and training allow EMS providers to rapidly identify STEMI, promptly notify the medical center and trigger an early response from the awaiting hospital personnel.
“EMTs and paramedics play a vital part in the system of care for those who have heart attacks,” said James Jollis, M.D., chair of the Mission: Lifeline Advisory Working Group. “Since they often are the first medical point of contact, they can shave precious minutes of lifesaving treatment time by activating the emergency response system that alerts hospitals. We applaud Trans Am Ambulance Services for achieving this award that shows it meets evidence-based guidelines in the treatment of people who have severe heart attacks.”
About Trans Am Ambulance Services
For more than 30 years, the Reisner family and the excellent Trans Am staff have provided the highest quality ambulance service to Cattaraugus County and the Village and Town of Cuba in Allegany County in west Upstate New York. The company also serves customers in McKean and Potter counties in northwestern Pennsylvania. Every Trans Am medical vehicle is staffed with highly skilled certified paramedics and EMTs who are trained in the latest lifesaving technology and emergency protocols. Trans Am is integrally connected to the fabric of the community. We understand we serve the community best when we support causes and events that matter to those who live here. Trans Am is a regional branch of the national Priority Ambulance network.
About Mission: Lifeline
The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® program helps hospitals and emergency
medical services develop systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for STEMI patients. The program works by mobilizing teams across the continuum of care to implement American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology clinical treatment guidelines. For more information, visit heart.org/missionlifeline and heart.org/quality.