UNC Health Johnston nationally recognized for heart care
UNC Health Johnston has been nationally recognized for its cardiac services by Healthgrades.
The hospital recently received the 2023 Coronary Intervention Excellence Award and is a Five-Star recipient for Coronary Interventional Procedures and Treatment of Heart Attack.
Healthgrades Specialty Excellence Awards recognize the top 10% of hospitals across the country in 17 specialty care areas. This achievement reflects Johnston’s outstanding clinical outcomes for cardiac services and distinguishes Johnston as one of the nation’s leading hospitals for coronary intervention.
From 2019-2021, patients treated at hospitals receiving the Coronary Intervention Excellence Award™ have, on average, a 46.7% lower risk of dying while in the hospital than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the award.
Tracey Carson, vice president of patient care services, says the “secret sauce” is teamwork.
“Our lab, emergency departments and cardiac catheterization lab share the same goals and work together to quickly treat patients,” she says. “And they meet monthly to review their performance.”
She says the teamwork extends to Johnston County EMS paramedics, who draw blood enroute to the hospital to speed up lab test results. “It’s a key task and first step toward diagnosing heart attack,” she adds.
Dr. Matthew Hook, director of interventional cardiology, attributes the program’s success to an overarching focus on patient care. “In every area, from preadmission testing, to transports, to post care—everyone wants to provide the best care to have the best possible outcome—and that’s the way all health care should be.
“When patients talk and share their experiences here at Johnston, good news travels fast,” he adds.
Brad Bowman, MD, chief medical officer and head of Data Science at Healthgrades, commends Johnston for its ongoing commitment to providing high-quality care. “Consumers can feel confident that recipients of the 2023 Coronary Intervention Excellence Award have demonstrated their ability to deliver consistently exceptional outcomes,” he says.
Also notable, Johnston has been an accredited chest pain center since 2013.
