American College of Cardiology NCDR Chest Pain  ̶  MI Registry Gold Award recognizes sustained, high-level performance in quality of care

Longview, TX, July 26, 2022 – CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Medical Center – Longview has received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain  ̶  MI Registry Gold Performance Achievement Award for 2022. CHRISTUS Good Shepherd is one of only 81 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor.

The award recognizes CHRISTUS Good Shepherd’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Medical Center – Longview’s has reached an aggressive goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.

To receive the Chest Pain  ̶  MI Registry Gold Performance Achievement Award, CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Medical Center – Longview has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain  ̶  MI Registry for two consecutive years (2020 and 2021) and performed at the top level for specific performance measures. Full participation in the registry engages hospitals in a robust quality improvement process using data to drive improvements in adherence to guideline recommendations and overall quality of care provided to heart attack patients.

“It is an honor to award CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Medical Center – Longview with the Gold Performance Award for their valuable national leadership and dedication to meeting comprehensive performance measures in patient care,” said Michael C. Kontos, MD, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee, and cardiologist at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. “The receipt of this award indicates that CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Medical Center – Longview remains committed to providing top quality, guideline-driven care for heart attack patients. Their success ensures patients are receiving the highest quality cardiovascular care.”

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that over 800,000 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.

“Heart disease is the leading cause of death in this country, and the rates of heart disease and heart attacks in East Texas are higher than the national averages,” said John McClish, M.D., chief of Cardiology at CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Medical Center – Longview. “Being recognized for providing high-quality cardiac services is a wonderful distinction and one we are all proud to receive. However, what is most important is our patients and the community we serve can rest assured they are receiving truly world-class treatment and care.”

“The ACC represents the highest goals of clinical excellence, continuing education and constant improvement in heart care, and receiving this recognition is an honor for our facilities and our caregivers,” said Dr. McClish. “Every person on our heart care team is dedicated to providing exceptional care to our patients. Every day, we seek to live out our mission to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ to the communities we serve.”

Chest Pain  ̶  MI Registry empowers health care provider teams to consistently treat heart attack patients according to the most current, science-based guidelines and establishes a national standard for understanding and improving the quality, safety and outcomes of care provided for patients with coronary artery disease, specifically high-risk heart attack patients.

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The American College of Cardiology envisions a world where innovation and knowledge optimize cardiovascular care and outcomes. As the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team, the mission of the College and its more than 56,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC bestows credentials upon cardiovascular professionals who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College also provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research through its world-renowned JACC Journals, operates national registries to measure and improve care, and offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions. For more, visit acc.org.

CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System includes: CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Medical Center – Longview (425-bed count); CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Medical Center – Marshall (149-bed count); freestanding Emergency Departments, CHRISTUS Good Shepherd NorthPark and CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Emergency Center – Kilgore; medically integrated wellness centers, CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Institute for Healthy Living and CHRISTUS Good Shepherd LifeCenter; and CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic. CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic, headquartered in Tyler, TX, is the region’s preferred multi-specialty medical group, with more than 1,000 physicians and advanced practice providers representing 45 specialties, in 113 locations serving Northeast Texas and Louisiana. For more information on services available through CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System, visit christusgoodshepherd.org.