OLEAN, NY, 2024 —Olean General Hospital (OGH), a Kaleida Health facility, has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Coronary Artery Disease Rural Recognition Silver recognition for its commitment to offering rapid, research-based care to people experiencing a specific type of heart attack known as an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), known to be more severe and dangerous than other types of heart attacks.

Each year, about 285,000 people in the U.S. experience this type of heart attack, caused by a complete blockage in a coronary artery.  Nearly 40% of people who go to the emergency room with acute coronary syndrome are diagnosed with a STEMI. Like all heart attacks, this requires timely treatment to restore blood flow as quickly as possible.

“When someone experiences a STEMI heart attack, American Heart Association guidelines call for specific actions performed in the hospital in a consistent and timely fashion to prevent further myocardial damage and to save lives,” said Stephen Sigal, M.D., MS, FAHA, FACC, American Heart Association volunteer and medical director of interventional cardiology at Titus Regional Medical Center. “Where you live should not determine if you live, and rural communities deserve high-quality cardiac care. Olean General Hospital is recognized for consistently providing these patients with the care, guidance and medical therapy they need to give them the best chance of survival.”

The Get With The Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease Rural Recognition award is earned by hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to treating patients according to the most up-to-date research-based guidelines for STEMI care as outlined by the American Heart Association.

“We are proud that our team at Olean General Hospital is being recognized for the important work we do every day to improve the lives of people in our region who experience a heart attack, giving them the best possible chance of recovery and survival,” said Christopher Mallavarapu, MD, cardiologist and medical director of the cardiology program, OGH. “As a hospital in a rural community, we deal with characteristics, such as extended interfacility transportation times, and limited staffing resources. We’ve made it a goal to make sure those hurdles do not affect the standard of care our patients receive.”

The award recognizes hospitals for their efforts toward STEMI care excellence demonstrated by composite score compliance to guideline-directed care, including timely electrocardiogram and transfer, aspirin administration, administration of thrombolytic therapy, receptor inhibitor and anticoagulant, and more.