Palomar Medical Center Escondido is among the nation's top performing hospitals for treatment of heart attack patients

ESCONDIDO – Palomar Medical Center Escondido has received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2019, the third year in a row, for its commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients. Palomar Medical Center Escondido is one of only 225 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor.

To receive the award, Palomar Medical Center Escondido has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry for eight consecutive quarters and has performed at the top level of standards for patient care.

“As a Platinum Performance Award recipient, Palomar Medical Center Escondido has established itself as a leader in setting the national standard for improving quality of care in patients with acute myocardial infarction,” Dr. Michael C. Kontos, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, said.

“We are dedicated to saving lives in our community,” Dr. Mikhail Malek, cardiologist and medical director for Palomar Health’s Heart and Vascular Center of Excellence, said. “Our physicians are setting the standard for implementing the highest quality, science-based treatment for patients suffering from heart attacks and other chest pain.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated 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.

Submitted by Palomar Medical Center.