Program aims to improve heart attack care

At the Duke Clinical Research Institute of Duke Medical Center in North Carolina, a two-year program aims to coordinate emergency care from emergency medical workers, hospitals and doctors activities to better manage heart attacks patients. The RACE Initiative (Reperfusion of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Carolina Emergency Departments), funded by a $1 million grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina, provides ambulances with EKG machines so workers can collect vital data about a heart attack patient and relay that information to doctors in the ER before the patient gets there. This allows that patient to be treated quickly and effectively as soon as the ambulance arrives at the hospital. As a result of the program, many hospitals have reduced the time it takes for patients to receive an angioplasty to just 90 minutes. Time is of the essence when it comes to heart attacks, as more damage is done to the heart the longer the patient has to wait for treatment.

For details on the program:
- read this Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area report