A heart attack (also called an AMI or acute myocardial infarction) occurs when an area of heart muscle dies or is permanently damaged because of an inadequate supply of oxygen to that area.

Learn more about Heart Attacks.

How is Care Measured?

When someone is having a Heart Attack, timely, clear-cut treatment is critical. Evidence has shown that patients who received specific treatments and medications at certain times experienced the best outcomes. These procedures and medications include:

• Aspirin at arrival;
• Aspirin at discharge;
• Beta blocker at arrival;
• ACE Inhibitor or ARB for Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction (LVSD);
• Fibrinolytic medication within 30 minutes of arrival;
• Beta Blocker at discharge;
• PCI (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention) within 90 minutes of arrival;
• Smoking cessation advice/counseling.

University Hospitals Case Medical Center either exceeds the national average or matches 100% of Heart Attack care standards achieved by the nation’s top hospitals .

You may view the details for each measurement by visiting the Health and Human Services web site called “Hospital Compare”.

How is Process of Care Measured?

University Hospitals participates in the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC): a nationwide alliance of academic medical centers and their affiliated hospitals. This group represents approximately 90% of the nation’s non-profit academic medical centers.

The UHC maintains a comparative database of healthcare measures which have been established to indicate the overall quality of commonly-performed medical procedures. Criteria for measuring heart attack outcomes include:

Mortality Rate

• Why is this important to you as a patient?
  Mortality rate is an indicator of good patient care process.
  A lower number is better.


• How do we compare outcomes?
  UHCMC participates in the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) comparative database along with more than 100 other academic centers across the country. The national comparison shown below compares our outcomes to those of other nationally-recognized academic medical centers.


• Results:
  UHCMC’s AMI mortality rate is better than the national average.

Patient experience is measured by the following criteria:

• Length of stay
• Readmission to the Hospital

Length of Stay as a Quality Measure

• Why is this important to you as a patient?
  This measure indicates the number of days a patient spends in the hospital.A shorter length of stay usually indicates more efficient and effective care.It means the patient can return home faster to recuperate in a familiar, more comfortable surrounding. A shorter stay in the hospital is also generally less disruptive for the patient and his / her family.


• How do we compare outcomes?
  UHCMC participates in the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) comparative database along with more than 100 other academic centers across the country. The national comparison shown below compares our outcomes to those of other nationally-recognized academic medical centers.


• Results:
  UHCMC’s average length of stay for AMI is better than the national average

Readmission to the Hospital as a Quality Measure

• Why is this important to you as a patient?
  This measure indicates the number of patients who are discharged from the hospital and then readmitted within 30 days of their discharge. A lower number indicates more efficient and effective care.


• How do we compare outcomes?
  UHCMC participates in the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) comparative database along with more than 100 other academic centers across the country. The national comparison shown below compares our outcomes to those of other nationally-recognized academic medical centers.


• Results:
  UHCMC’s readmission to the hospital for AMI is better than the national average.