Inspira Health Network

Working to Improve Heart Health There is certainly good news about our nation's efforts to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease. For example, from 1997 to 2007, heart attack deaths decreased by nearly one-third. Still, the American Heart Association estimates that more than 80 million Americans suffer from cardiovascular diseases linked with heart attacks and strokes. As a regional leader in cardiovascular services, Inspira Health Network partners with its communities to prevent, diagnose, treat and manage a host of heart-related conditions. By working with you, we can foster healthier communities while reducing the impact of heart disease and other medical conditions that threaten the well-being of our families, neighborhoods and cities. This issue of Family & Friends focuses on ways we can all reduce our risk of heart disease. We also share the story of Bob Litzinger, a Gloucester County man whose life was saved by the great work of our paramedics, and the teams in our ER and Cath lab. Bob was so pleased with his care that he decided to become a volunteer at Inspira Medical Center Woodbury. As you read this, my 40 years in health care are coming to a close. It has been a pleasure leading this great organization for 15 years, and I am confident that my successor, John DiAngelo, will provide exemplary leadership moving forward. John's strong and multifaceted skill set, experience and determination make him ideally suited to lead Inspira Health Network. I wish him, and each of you, the best. Chet Kaletkowski President & CEO Inspira Health Network It's Your Heart … Quality Matters! Medical services are evaluated by comparing the timeliness and effectiveness of clinical care against national benchmarks. When a patient experiences symptoms that suggest a possible heart attack or other cardiovascular emergency, every second counts. To assess the quality of care delivered, hospitals and government agencies measure the time that passes from first symptoms until the condition is diagnosed and appropriate treatment begins. • Door to Electrocardiogram (EKG) Time — Patients experiencing chest pain or a possible heart attack should have an EKG within 10 minutes of arriving at a hospital. Average times at Inspira Health Network emergency departments in Elmer, Vineland and Woodbury have been equal to or below the 7.5-minute goal set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. • Diagnosis to Unblocked Coronary Artery Time — A heart attack is triggered when a clogged blood vessel deprives the heart of essential oxygen. A percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedure opens the blockage to restore blood flow and lessen damage to heart muscle. At Inspira Medical Center Woodbury, the average "door to balloon" time — from initial contact with experienced emergency responders to the opening of a blocked coronary artery using emergency PCI — is 58 minutes, considerably faster than the national standard. Because experience raises skill level and effectiveness, another important quality measure is the number of tests and procedures performed by a medical team. More than 116,000 cardiac diagnostic tests were administered at Inspira Health Network facilities in 2012. 2 FALL 2013 IHN Family & Friends

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