Hunterdon Medical Center Mobile Intensive Care Unit Nationally Recognized for its Commitment to Quality Care for Heart Attacks and Strokes

Hunterdon Medical Center’s Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold achievement award for its commitment to offering rapid, research-based care to people experiencing the most severe form of heart attack, ultimately saving lives.

Emergency medical services staff can begin treatment when they arrive — up to an hour sooner than if someone goes to the hospital by car. EMS staff are also trained to provide resuscitation efforts to someone whose heart has stopped. People who arrive by ambulance may also receive faster treatment at the hospital.

Mission: Lifeline EMS® is the American Heart Association's national initiative to advance the system of care for patients with high-risk, time-sensitive disease states, such as severe heart attacks and strokes. The program helps reduce barriers to prompt treatment — starting from when 911 is called, to EMS transport and continuing through hospital treatment and discharge. Optimal care for heart attack and stroke patients takes coordination between the individual prehospital providers and health care systems.

Hunterdon Medical Center’s MICU was also recognized with the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline System of Care Target: Heart Attack award, focused on the system of care for patients. This award highlights the collaboration and contributions of both pre-hospital and hospital providers. This time-critical award level is limited to those agencies that provide patient transport to STEMI-receiving and STEMI-referring centers.

“Hunterdon Medical Center’s MICU is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to providing optimal care for heart attack and stroke patients. The Mission: Lifeline program puts proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis so patients have the best possible chance of survival,” stated Kristy Alfano, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Hunterdon Health.