Athens, Ga. (July 17, 2019) – Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center has received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain  ̶  MI Registry (formerly known as the ACTION Registry) Gold Performance Achievement Award for 2019, serving as one of only 30 hospitals nationwide to receive this honor.

“This award shows Piedmont Athens Regional’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for our heart attack patients,” said Robert Sinyard, MD, Piedmont Athens Regional’s chief medical officer (CMO). “This award signifies Piedmont Athens Regional’s commitment to treating its patients with the high-quality standards of care outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association’s clinical guidelines and recommendations.”

To receive the Chest Pain  ̶  MI Registry Gold Performance Achievement Award, Piedmont Athens Regional has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain  ̶  MI Registry for eight consecutive quarters and has performed at the top level of standards for specific performance measures.

“As a Gold Performance Award recipient, Piedmont Athens Regional has established itself as a leader in setting the national standard for improving quality of care in patients with acute myocardial infarction,” said Michael C. Kontos, MD, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. “By meeting the award requirements set forth in the registry, Piedmont Athens Regional has demonstrated a commitment to providing reliable, comprehensive treatment for heart attack patients based on current clinical guideline recommendations.”

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over 700,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle.

Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling and cardiac rehabilitation, among others.

“Piedmont Athens Regional is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our patients who suffer a heart attack,” Dr. Sinyard said. “We’re pleased to be recognized for achievements in cardiac care, and I am very proud of our committed team.”