NHRMC recognized again for heart attack care

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — New Hanover Regional Medical Center is once again being recognized for a job well done.

EMS and the critical care transport team have received the American Heart Association’s Mission Lifeline Gold Plus award, for the second time!

The award recognizes efforts to rapidly identify heart attack patients.

At NHRMC paramedics use an electrocardiogram to evaluate heart activity from an ambulance or AirLink helicopter.

The results determine whether the patient is having a heart attack and if they need to be taken to new Hanover’s cath lab for treatment.

Kevin Collopy with New Hanover Regional’s critical care transport said every minute that passes can increase a patient’s risk of dying.

“One of the most effective things that we’ve been able to do as a system here is develop not only here in New Hanover County but throughout the entire region,” Collopy said. “A system where paramedics are empowered to interpret and recognize a heart attack on a 12 lead ECG, which is an electric cardio gram, but they’re allowed to activate the cath lab by themselves without having to transmit that piece of paper to the hospital for a physician to interpret it.”

Collopy added that this award encourages medical staff to perform the most effectively and efficiently, on wheels and in the sky.