The Christiansburg Rescue Squad received a Gold Plus award on May 19 from the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline EMS Recognition program.
The Gold Plus award is the program’s highest achievement award and recognizes EMS agencies providing quality, pre-hospital emergency care. This the first time Christiansburg Rescue has received the Gold Plus distinction, though it won the Silver award last year.
The Gold Plus award means Christiansburg Rescue maintained a performance score of at least 75 percent in each of four measures set by Mission: Lifeline during a 24-month period.
Mission: Lifeline is a proactive system of care that unites first responders, hospitals and other healthcare providers into a team that uses best practices to treat patients suffering from acute coronary syndrome, including both STEMI and non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) heart attacks.
These tools, training and practices allow EMS providers to rapidly identify suspected heart attack patients, promptly notify medical centers and trigger an early response from the awaiting hospital personnel. The goal of Mission: Lifeline is to help save lives and improve patient outcomes, from symptom onset all the way through cardiac rehabilitation.
Deputy Chief Dustin Williams accepted the award on behalf of the Christiansburg Rescue Squad in Lynchburg.
— Submitted by
Melissa Powell