Virginia Spotlight

Virginia Heart Attack Coalition/Mission Lifeline Making Great Strides to Improve MI Care in the Commonwealth

The VHAC/ML Task Force held its fourth meeting in Richmond on September 22, 2009. This was the first statewide meeting after a highly successful May Summit to gather all Coalition members and stakeholders. Progress continues as this important initiative continues to gather momentum.

Over 25 participants, from across Virginia and the STEMI Stakeholder spectrum, attended this Richmond event. Participants discussed a STEMI position paper to be presented to the State EMS, and heard updates on data from the Virginia Department of Health, the status of AHA funding, and reports from Project Teams and Regional Leaders.

The work of VHAC/ML is currently being carried out by three Project Teams. These subcommittees outlined their progress to date. The Regional Organization and Development Team has identified six separate Regions and established Regional leadership structures. Each Regional Lead discussed their current status, including challenges and opportunities.

The Data and Evaluation Team presented data demonstrating reductions in door to balloon time when 1995/96 was compared to 1998, an effect that was seen in each of the 6 regions. Summary data of over 1100 patients included demonstrated 85% of Virginia STEMI patients treated in < 90 minutes. Data from a survey of Virginia PCI and non-PCI hospitals was presented. Subsequently, this information will be helpful to better target educational and equipment needs for EMS to improve pre hospital recognition.

Finally, the Field Adaptations-Toolshed/Web team presented the website, www.virginiaheartattackcoalition.org, and discussed improvements and updates to follow. Work begins on a Toolkit which will provide participants with important resources for education and process improvement. This will include order sets and pathways to assist individualizing STEMI care for each hospital. In addition, the goal is to separate out educational material based on provider (e.g., EMS, ED, cardiologist, nurse, etc), for ease of use.

The “Virginia Heart Attack Coalition” (VHAC) is a volunteer collaborative that is helping to initiate the AHA’s Mission: Lifeline guidelines in Virginia and fostering cooperation and coordination of STEMI care providers.