Unfortunately, a medical crisis and devastating diagnosis in 2025 makes it likely they will not see their 21st wedding anniversary. Bonny came to Norton Audubon Hospital on Monday, Jan. 27, with severe abdominal pain. After undergoing emergency surgery, she learned that she has a life-changing terminal diagnosis. She recently transferred to hospice care.  

Bonny learned that her cousin, who was visiting her in the hospital on Jan. 31, had just taken a course to be ordained to perform weddings. She looked over and asked Robert if he would like to renew their vows. 

Robert replied, “Of course I will, honey.” 

When Bonny’s care team at Norton Audubon Hospital found out about the vow renewal plan, they made it their mission to make the event — happening that day — as beautiful as possible. Reaching out to colleagues to assist, one ordered a dozen white roses on Door Dash while another supplied the couple with a plant for the bedside ceremony.

Two decades ago, what made them decide to marry after seven years of dating?

“He’s just a very good man,” Bonny said.

Robert made them both giggle with his reply: “Because she is hot and still is hot!” 

He called Bonny the “biggest-hearted person” he’s ever met. 

Bonny’s care team agrees and calls her an amazing woman who remains upbeat despite her diagnosis.  

“In the short time Bonny has been at Norton Audubon Hospital, she has won over the staff,” said Lindsay Lewis, BSN, R.N., director, invasive cardiology, patient care services “I’m pretty sure they are fighting over who gets to take care of her. 

“I let her know that even though there are times when we are with our patients only for a short time, they leave an impact on us that will stay with us forever.”

Bonny has been one of those patients for the staff on the Progressive Care Unit.  

What would Bonny share with others?

“When you love someone, let them know it — let them know it a lot,” she said. “You can’t lose your mind at the same time, but when you know, you just know.”

She takes it a step further. Each year on her husband’s birthday, she sends Robert’s mother a thank-you card.  

Bonny also wanted to share that the caregivers she has met at Norton Audubon Hospital are amazing, and the list of those who she raved about could go on and on. 

At a time when she was not able to drink or eat anything, yet was craving coffee, she said one of her favorite nurses smelled of coffee, and that just made her morning.

“He smelled so good!” she said.

It’s an important reminder to appreciate the small blessings in life — to be thankful during the good times and make the best of out of the bad. 

When we are given the opportunity to provide blessings during another’s bad time, it can make all the difference in the world.

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The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on more than 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as systems that hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

“This ‘A’ ranking at our hospitals is a testament to the hard work of our dedicated providers and employees, who consistently strive to deliver safe, high-quality care to our patients,” said Russell F. Cox, president and CEO, Norton Healthcare.  “In addition, numerous others throughout the organization provide essential support and resources to our providers and caregivers.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.

Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to nearly 3,000 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year, in the fall and spring.

To see full grade details for each of Norton Healthcare’s four Louisville adult-service hospitals and get patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Facebook.

The post Norton Healthcare’s four Louisville-based adult-service hospitals nationally recognized with an ‘A’ for fall 2023 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

This kind of heart attack is called an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (my-oh-CARD’-ee-ull in-FARK’-shun), or STEMI. Often also called a widow-maker, this is the deadliest form of heart attack. That’s because it is caused from a complete blockage in the heart, and no blood is able to pass through. Restoring blood flow is all that matters, and the faster it’s done, the better the chances of recovery and preventing long-term damage to the heart muscle. In this situation, time is muscle.

Myocardial infarction is the medical term for a heart attack. An infarction is a blockage of blood flow to the myocardium (my-oh-CAR’-dee-um), the heart muscle. That blockage causes cells in the heart muscle to die.

A STEMI is a heart attack that causes a distinct pattern on an electrocardiogram (abbreviated either as ECG or EKG). This is a medical test that uses several sensors (usually 10) attached to your skin that can detect your heart’s electrical activity. That activity is then displayed as a wave pattern on a paper readout or a digital display. Certain patterns of heart activity mean there’s a total blockage of one of the heart’s main supply arteries.

During a heart attack, those patterns can mean the heart muscle is dying. At this point, the key goal is to reopen that artery and restore blood flow as soon as possible. This may prevent permanent damage, or at least limit the severity of the damage. If there’s too much damage to the muscle in the ventricles, your heart can’t pump enough blood to support your body. The heart muscle cannot repair itself. That’s why STEMI heart attacks are so dangerous and why restoring blood flow quickly is so critical.

Chest pain or heart attack?

Despite what you might have seen on TV or in movies, a heart attack does not always come on suddenly or include clutching one’s chest in agony. Many times, a heart attack feels like pressure, heaviness or other discomfort in the chest, neck, jaw or down the arms. Though men and women both have heart attacks, they often report different sensations in the body.

STEMI symptoms include:

• Tightness, squeezing, pain, or pressure in your chest that doesn’t go away after a few minutes, or stops and returns
• Pain or discomfort in your arms, neck, jaw, back, or stomach
• Shortness of breath
• Lightheadedness
• Nausea and vomiting
• A cold sweat

There are several conditions that can feel like a heart attack, including anxiety, gas and muscle strain. You always should err on the side of caution when it comes to chest pain, and visit a health care provider to see what the cause of your pain is.

STEMI treatment

Treatment options for STEMI will depend on several factors, including:

• Where the blockage is in your heart
• Results of tests such as ECG/EKG
• Age, general health and lifestyle factors

No matter what, treating a STEMI is time-sensitive. Faster treatment can mean better outcomes. If your blood oxygen levels are low, treatment may include supplemental oxygen. There are also several different potential treatments for heart attack, several of which may happen in sequence or at the same time.

Other treatments include:

• Percutaneous coronary (per-kew-TANE’-ee-us COR’-oh-nar-ee) intervention  (PCI) — this procedure uses a tiny balloon that inflates to clear the blockage in the artery. A stent may be used, which is a scaffold that unfolds to hold the artery open.
• Medication — several medications are usually given early on in the treatment of heart attack, including beta blockers and statins.
• Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery — CABG (pronounced like “cabbage”) means a surgeon takes a blood vessel from somewhere else in your body and uses it to make a new blood vessel that bypasses the blockage. CABG is often called bypass surgery or open heart surgery.

STEMI heart attack care network

Norton Healthcare has worked with Louisville-area health systems, emergency medical services (EMS) providers, air transport providers and affiliates to build the area’s first regional STEMI network. Like a top-notch pit crew for a race car, everyone on the team has a specific role: From the time you first seek medical care to the time the blockage is cleared, the STEMI network has your care covered.  

Part of the network’s purpose is to equip EMS crews with EKG equipment that can detect a STEMI heart attack. When a 911 call is made and EMTs arrive to provide care, the EKG taken in the first moments is sent to the STEMI network, activating a team that begins to prepare for the arrival of a patient. In some cases, the crew can save time by skipping what may be the closest hospital and heading directly to an accredited chest pain center where staff have been trained in heart attack care.

The goal is to get blood flowing within 90 minutes or less. Norton Heart & Vascular Institute and its partners in the STEMI network — which reaches into rural parts of Kentucky and Southern Indiana — beat the goal nearly 100% of the time. In 2022, Norton Healthcare had a median time of 56 minutes.

Norton Healthcare partners with other providers and emergency personnel who encounter STEMI patients to conduct drills and improve processes. This partnership was instrumental in the American Heart Association awarding its Mission Lifeline: Trailblazer designation to Norton Healthcare, thus recognizing the pioneering work done to create network of care to treat STEMI hear attacks.

The post A STEMI is one of the most dangerous forms of heart attack — here’s what you need to know appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

Specialties include:

• Advanced heart failure and recovery
• General cardiology
• Cardiac surgery
• Electrophysiology
• Interventional cardiology
• Structural heart
• Vascular surgery

Located at 2355 Poplar Level Road in Norton Medical Plaza West on the Norton Audubon Hospital campus, the multilevel space offers convenient first-floor registration for outpatient services, including labs and diagnostic testing.

“The expansion of heart and vascular services on the Norton Audubon Hospital campus has been a vision for many years,” said Joseph A. Lash, M.D., executive medical director and Rounsavall Family Foundation Endowed Chair, Norton Heart & Vascular Institute. “Norton Audubon Hospital has a long history of providing innovative heart and vascular care, and we are excited to bring more outpatient services and clinical expertise to this centralized location in Louisville.”

Many of these services were already available on the Norton Audubon Hospital campus however, they had outgrown their spaces and there was need to consolidate them for patient convenience. With the newly renovated building, Norton Heart & Vascular Institute now occupies more than 31,000 total square feet. The space offers more than 40 exam rooms and several procedure rooms for outpatient vein and vascular procedures, device check and monitoring capabilities for patients with heart rhythm devices. The area is designed to have open staff areas that facilitate cross-specialty collaboration for improved communication and patient care.

Chest Pain Clinic

The space also includes a new Norton Heart & Vascular Institute Chest Pain Clinic and a triage area for those with unexplained chest pain or changes in how they feel that could be related to a heart condition. Norton Healthcare providers can refer patients to the Chest Pain Clinic for observation and testing in the event of non-emergent chest pain. Once a patient is referred to the Chest Pain Clinic, they may receive an EKG or diagnostic labs. Further testing, such as stress testing, an echocardiogram or advanced cardiac CT imaging may be ordered while under observation of advanced cardiac care provider.

“Non-emergent chest pain is a problem that is commonly seen by primary care providers and urgent care centers,” said D. Sean Stewart, M.D., interventional cardiologist, system director for structural and interventional cardiology, Norton Heart & Vascular Institute. “As emergency departments are often maxed out in capacity with patients needing emergent care, the Chest Pain Clinic is a resource for patients with intermediate chest pain to be seen and evaluated. A treatment plan will be established as needed by the center’s multidisciplinary team of experts.”

The Chest Pain Clinic is not for high-risk patients thought to be having a heart attack. Those patients need to be transported to an emergency department at Norton Audubon Hospital, Norton Brownsboro Hospital and Norton Hospital, which all hold the region’s highest accreditation from the American College of Cardiology as a Chest Pain Center, where established protocols and services are in place to provide potentially lifesaving care for a heart attack.

“There are a wide variety of reasons people can present with chest pain besides blockages in an artery. Inflammation around the heart muscles, inflammation in the rib spaces, daily stresses of life, even gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) — all can manifest as chest pain,” Dr. Stewart said. “These types of situations are what we anticipate seeing most in the new Chest Pain Clinic.”

Overall expansion to meet patients’ needs

The new Norton Heart & Vascular Institute outpatient services space is part of a larger $88 million multiphase project that also received financial support from the community through the Norton Healthcare Foundation. This investment expanded heart and vascular care services on the Norton Audubon campus over the past five years:

• Creating a cardiac intensive care unit with specially trained staff and cardiac intensivists to help patients recover from heart surgery, device implantation and cardiovascular events. The unit features round-the-clock telemetry monitoring.
• Adding a cardiac catheterization (cath) lab and finishing the on-going remodeling of three existing labs to now offer four state-of-the-art cath labs. 
• Adding two electrophysiology labs for heart rhythm procedures with best in class technology.
• Adding a second hybrid operating room for structural heart and vascular surgeries featuring traditional operating room technology and image-guided (x-ray) interventional equipment.

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“Nurses, patient care associates — we all feel this art in what we do. The creativity and flexibility in the words we choose to use with patients, in the execution of our tasks,” Brian said.

From a young age, he dreamed of being on an ambulance crew, offering comfort during life’s most difficult moments. The memory of EMTs helping to reassure him after a car accident in his childhood helped set him on his career path into health care.

“I can’t imagine the fear and uncertainty that patients feel during emergencies. Those who step in to help truly make a difference,” Brian said.

Throughout high school, Brian’s desire to be a support for people in their most vulnerable times only intensified.

“I fell in love with it all. There’s a unique humility and honor in being able to care for others,” he said.

Brian’s journey took him to Bellarmine University for his undergraduate studies, where he immersed himself in nursing preparation classes. In spring 2019, his path led him to Norton Audubon Hospital, where he began working as a patient care associate on the orthopedic medical/surgical floor. Over two years, he gained invaluable exposure and hands-on experience working with patients, solidifying his passion for nursing.

He joined the Student Nurse Apprenticeship Program (SNAP) in January 2022, a unique opportunity for nursing students to spend the final year of their degree program working alongside experienced nurses.

He credits his time as a patient care associate and being in SNAP as expanding his perspective.

“I can’t fathom stepping into these roles without prior related experience,” he said. “It’s like training — the best way to improve is through exposure and practice. Transitioning to SNAP allowed me to hone my skills and extend that training.”

In his experiences with Norton Healthcare, Brian has seen the transformation that care and expertise can make for a patient — even in the span of a single hospital shift.

“There’s something beautiful about guiding a [postoperative] patient, intubated and anxious, through their recovery journey. I remember patients who, in less than 24 hours, had their chest cracked open, seeing them … on a ventilator, and by the end of the shift, they are up, talking to me about their family and eating a Popsicle,” Brian said.

According to Brian, his background as a first-generation American, a child of Vietnamese immigrants, informs his compassionate approach to patient care. He considers himself a good listener, and his philosophy centers on empathy and understanding.

“Sometimes it’s OK not to be OK,” he said. “No one wants to willingly be in the hospital, right? We are there in those moments to validate and educate them. Maybe it’s summed up in: Open arms, open heart.”

Brian’s journey reminds us that the practice of nursing is as much about the heart as it is about science — a symphony of empathy, expertise and resilience.

—

Are you interested in a nursing career or the Student Nurse Apprenticeship Program?

Find registration links, open house details, and application information at NortonHealthcare.com/SNAP. For questions, connect with us at SNAP@nortonhealthcare.org. ​

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Norton Audubon Hospital, Norton Brownsboro Hospital, and Norton Hospital all are recognized for ACC Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI accreditation; Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital is recognized as an ACC Chest Pain Center. Norton Healthcare has the most facilities across the city of Louisville with the ability treat a life-threatening heart attack.

“This accreditation is based on national standards ensuring patients receive specific treatment in a timely manner, a task that takes teamwork across multiple areas of the hospital — including the emergency department, radiology, cardiac catheterization, laboratory and many more,” said Joseph A. Lash, M.D., cardiologist and medical director of Norton Heart & Vascular Institute and Rounsavall Family Foundation endowed chair. “Achieving this accreditation is a testament to the entire team both within the Norton Heart & Vascular Institute, but also at each of the hospitals.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 730,000 Americans experience a heart attack each year. The most common symptom of a heart attack is chest pain or discomfort. However, women are more likely to have atypical symptoms. Other heart attack symptoms include, but are not limited to, tingling or discomfort in one or both arms, back, shoulder, neck or jaw, shortness of breath, cold sweats, unusual tiredness, heartburn-like feeling, nausea or vomiting, sudden dizziness, and fainting.

Hospitals that have earned ACC Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation have proven exceptional competency in treating patients with heart attack symptoms and have primary PCI available 24/7 every day of the year. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is also known as coronary angioplasty. It is a nonsurgical procedure that opens narrowed or blocked coronary arteries with a balloon to relieve symptoms of heart disease or reduce heart damage during or after a heart attack.

As required to meet the criteria of the accreditation designation, these hospitals comply with standard Chest Pain Center protocols.  These facilities also maintain a “no diversion policy” for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.

Hospitals receiving Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI and Resuscitation Accreditation from the ACC must take part in a multifacetedclinical process that involves: completing a gap analysis, examining variances of care, developing an action plan, a rigorous on-site review and monitoring for sustained success. Improved methods and strategies of caring for patients include streamlining processes, implementing guidelines and standards, and adopting best practices in the care of patients experiencing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack. Facilities that achieve accreditation meet or exceed an array of stringent criteria and have organized a team of doctors, nurses, clinicians and other administrative staff that earnestly supports the efforts leading to better patient education and improved patient outcomes.

Norton Heart & Vascular Institute is the area’s leading provider of cardiovascular care, from general cardiology to subspecialty care that includes vascular surgery, thoracic surgery, cardiac surgery, electrophysiology, advanced heart failure, structural cardiology and interventional cardiology.

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This is the seventh consecutive period (fall 2019, spring 2020, fall 2020, spring 2021, fall 2021, spring 2022 and fall 2022) that the four hospitals have received an “A” grade.

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on more than 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as systems that hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

“By working together and keeping the safety of our patients — and each other — at the center of all they do, Norton Healthcare’s employees consistently do the hard work that is necessary to receive ‘A’ Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades,” said Russell F. Cox, president and CEO, Norton Healthcare. “Our talented and dedicated providers and caregivers consistently deliver safe, high-quality care to our patients. In addition, numerous team members throughout the organization provide essential support and resources critical in today’s complex health care environment. Seven consecutive ‘A’ grades is no small feat, and I am honored to lead this exceptional team.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.

Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,700 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year, in the fall and spring.

To see full grade details for each of Norton Healthcare’s four Louisville adult-service hospitals and get patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook.

The post String of seven: Norton Healthcare’s four Louisville-based adult-service hospitals once again nationally recognized with an ‘A’ for fall 2022 in Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

One evening in November 2021, after having dinner with his family, Jonathan fell asleep on the couch. He woke up in the middle of the night and felt dizzy, but went back to sleep. When morning came, Jonathan awoke again. Now he couldn’t see. He tried to walk. He couldn’t. He fell to the floor.

Jonathan called out to his family for help. They checked his blood pressure, which was very high (269/239, he said). The next call was to 911. The emergency medical technicians suspected he was having a stroke and took him to Norton Audubon Hospital.

Strokes are killing more Black men

Black Americans are 50% more likely to have a stroke than others in the U.S. and Black men are 70% more likely to die from a stroke as compared to non-Hispanic whites.

Two out of three Black Americans have at least one risk factor for stroke, according to the American Stroke Association.

Stroke risk factors

• High blood pressure
• Being overweight
• Diabetes
• High cholesterol
• Sickle cell anemia
• Smoking
• Stress

In addition to grief and the stress of losing his job, Jonathan had risk factors from being diabetic and overweight.

“Mr. House, in particular, really exemplifies a lot of the challenges as far as stroke risks with the African-American community,” said Danny R. Rose, M.D., neurologist and stroke specialist at the Norton Neuroscience Institute. 

A quick stroke diagnosis

Jonathan arrived at the emergency department at Norton Audubon Hospital, which is a Primary Stroke Center certified by DNV. Unfortunately, since his first symptoms had appeared more than four and a half hours earlier, it was not an option to treat him with tPA, a drug used to break up a blood clot and restore blood flow to the brain.

Jonathan’s stroke was unusual in the sense that the blocked blood vessel in his brain did not show up in diagnostic images.

Dr. Rose entered the room shortly after Jonathan arrived and made the diagnosis. Jonathan remembers their conversation:

Dr. Rose: “I see what’s wrong.”

Jonathan: “You haven’t even looked at me yet.”

Dr. Rose: “You had a stroke that’s affecting your eyes.”

Jonathan: “What do you mean?”

Dr. Rose: “You’ve got one eye going this way and one eye going that way.”

Jonathan remained under the watchful care of Dr. Rose and the stroke team for a week. Then he was cleared to go home. He was very pleased with his care.

“All the doctors and staff were beautiful,” Jonathan said. “They helped me get myself back together. They still call me and make sure I’m okay. And that means a lot because I’ve never been one to accept a handout. To see people that I never knew come in like they did – it’s a blessing.”

Making changes to prevent future strokes and a message for others

Jonathan and Dr. Rose talked about how Jonathan needed to make some lifestyle changes to reduce his risk of another stroke. This included eating healthier, exercising more, and working to reduce stress. Those three steps have helped Jonathan recover and find a new job. But they also gave him a different outlook on life.

“My motto is whatever’s meant to be, it’s going to be and whatever God’s got planned for me, it’s what he’s got planned for me,” he said.

Jonathan also has a message for other Black Americans

“We have to start checking our health because if you got kids and you got brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers that’s depending on you, they can’t depend on you if you’re not there,” he said. “And you can’t be no good to them if you ain’t no good to yourself.”

Although strokes are a top killer of Black men, they are treatable. Preventive care through a primary care can reduce your chance of stroke. Doctors say the most important thing you can do is have your blood pressure checked. If you have any risk factors for stroke, schedule an appointment with a primary care doctor, and then see that doctor regularly.

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The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on more than 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as systems that hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

“The hard work of our dedicated providers and caregivers, who consistently deliver safe, high-quality care to our patients, and the essential support they receive from team members throughout the organization, is the reason each of our Louisville-based adult-service hospitals continue to receive an ‘A’ ranking,” said Russell F. Cox, president and CEO, Norton Healthcare. “I am incredibly proud of our team, who keeps the safety of our patients — and each other — at the center of all they do.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.

“As our health care system continues to feel the strain of the pandemic, I thank the workforce and leadership of Norton Healthcare hospitals for sustained commitment to patient safety, day in and day out,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO, The Leapfrog Group. “An ‘A’ safety grade is an outstanding achievement and one that is not possible without a 24/7 effort by the entire health care workforce to protect patients from harm. This community should be proud.”

Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,700 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year.

To see full grade details for each of Norton Healthcare’s four Louisville adult-service hospitals and get patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook.

*Pediatric hospitals are not rated by The Leapfrog Group.

The post Norton Healthcare’s four Louisville-based adult-service hospitals once again nationally recognized with an ‘A’ for spring 2022 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

The award recognizes forward-thinking heart hospitals with goals to advance the cause of sustainable quality improvement.

Specifically, the 54,000-member college requires HeartCare Centers to demonstrate their “commitment to consistent, high-quality cardiovascular care through comprehensive process improvement, disease and procedure-specific accreditation, professional excellence, and community engagement.”

Norton Audubon Hospital, home of Norton Heart & Vascular Institute, has been named a HeartCare center three years in a row by the college.

Additional accreditations include Norton Heart & Vascular Institute’s chest pain centers with the highest accreditation level possible for facilities able to treat heart attacks. Norton Audubon Hospital, Norton Brownsboro Hospital and Norton Hospital have received the highest level of cardiac catheterization accreditation from the college — offering lifesaving, minimally invasive procedures for diagnosis and treatment.

Norton Healthcare is the only health care system in Kentucky to receive the prestigious Mission: Lifeline Regional Trailblazer Award from the American Heart Association for being an innovator in creating a system of care for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) heart attacks — the most severe type of heart attack.

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