MESA, Ariz. (Oct. 6, 2008) – Banner Heart Hospital, the only heart hospital in the East Valley, was certified as a cardiac arrest center by the state Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma System on Monday.
The certification means the hospital meets state standards in caring for patients who have suffered cardiac arrest.
“Banner Heart’s certification as a cardiac arrest center is just one part of our mission to become a destination heart center not only for the Valley, but for the Southwest and the nation,” said Banner Heart Hospital CEO John Harrington.
The state guidelines are based on a standard of care set forth by the American Heart Association, but are actually rarely used in U.S. hospitals. The standard calls for use of a unique therapy: hypothermia.
In cases where cardiac arrest patients remain comatose after the initial attack, Cardiac Arrest Centers are now encouraged to lower the patient’s body temperature using ice packs or other methods for the first few hours.
Results have shown that the hypothermia treatment preserves neurological function during the time that cardiac arrest patients are comatose.
The cold treatment is followed by a natural warming, where the body brings itself back to a normal temperature.
Banner Heart Hospital is one of 16 Arizona hospitals that have been designated as Cardiac Arrest Centers. Emergency-medical service agencies are encouraged by the state to transport patients to certified centers.
The designation is part of a larger effort by the Arizona Cardiac Arrest Center Consortium to standardize care for cardiac patients in hospitals. This effort comes on the heels of another push on behalf of the Arizona Department of Health Services to educate the public, and what to do if a person nearby suffers cardiac arrest.
The Arizona Cardiac Arrest Center Consortium began making presentations to hospital and EMS representatives in Dec. 2007. It estimates that 200 patients per year would benefit from the enhancements in Arizona.
For more information about the Arizona Cardiac Arrest Center Consortium, visit www.azshare.gov.
ABOUT Banner Heart Hospital
Banner Heart Hospital is one of the largest free-standing heart hospitals in the nation. It has been named twice as one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® for cardiovascular care by Thomson healthcare business. This annual award for cardiovascular services objectively measures performance on the key criteria at the nation’s top performing, acute-care hospitals. Banner Heart Hospital opened in 2000 and is the only heart hospital in the East Valley, serving Mesa, Apache Junction, Queen Creek, Gilbert Payson, Globe and many other communities.