When a heart attack happens, time matters. In fact, doctors like to say “time is muscle.”

They know the faster they can reopen a blocked artery and restore blood flow to the heart, the quicker they can stop damage to the heart muscle.

So, how fast is fast? The national standard is 90 minutes – from the time a patient arrives at the hospital with symptoms of a heart attack to the time the artery is reopened.

Saint Mary’s Hospital is ranked as the top-performing hospital in Connecticut for delivering this life-saving care to heart attack patients. According to CMS, 100 percent of patients who require angioplasty receive it within 90 minutes of arriving in our Emergency Department. Not only are we #1 in Connecticut, we perform better than the national average, which is 79 percent.* (See graph.)

Saint Mary’s could only achieve this extraordinary accomplishment through the dedication of our talented team of physicians, nurses and staff. From the Emergency Department to the Cardiac Catheterization Lab to our Cardiovascular Unit, Saint Mary’s is committed to serving you better. Our goal is every heart, on time, every time. We know, when it comes to a heart attack, seconds count.

Disclaimer:
*According to data reported for discharges April 2008 through March 2009 and published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Health and Human Services on the Hospital Compare website for Percent of Heart Attack Patients Given PCI Within 90 Minutes of Arrival.