UF Health Jacksonville has received national recognition for its treatment of patients experiencing serious heart attacks.

The hospital is the winner of the prestigious Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2012 from the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF). It’s one of just 164 hospitals nationwide — and the only one in Northeast Florida — to receive the award.

The platinum award is given to organizations that demonstrate the highest standards of care and treatment. UF Health Jacksonville was singled out for its success in treating the most serious heart attack patients for two consecutive years.

"Our goal at UF Health Jacksonville is to help every patient recover from these life-threatening and time-sensitive episodes," said Luis Guzman, MD, an associate professor of medicine with the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville and medical director of cardiac catheterization labs.

UF Health Jacksonville was honored as a result of its participation with ACCF’s ACTION Registry-GWTG (Get with the Guidelines) program, which is part of its National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR). The registry is recognized as the preeminent cardiovascular data repository and has the ultimate aim of improving cardiovascular care.

UF Health Jacksonville met the highest standards in all relevant performance measures, including care and treatment of STEMI and NSTEMI patients. A STEMI (ST-elevation myocardial infarction) heart attack is typically caused by complete blockage of a coronary artery, while a NSTEMI (non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction) heart attack is considered less serious.

Last year, UF Health Jacksonville received the Silver Performance Achievement Award — a rare feat for first-time NCDR contributors. Key internal partnerships are being credited for the ACCF recognition in recent years.

"We believe the collaborative approach and expertise between our emergency medicine physicians and cardiologists, combined with the best resources within our organization, allow us to provide some of the most comprehensive care in the nation," said Joseph Sabato, MD, a UF assistant professor of emergency medicine.

"This collaboration between cardiology and emergency medicine has generated awesome results,” added Wayne Marshall, division director of Emergency, Trauma, Flight Services and Disaster Preparedness at UF Health Jacksonville. "It has been incredibly successful."

ACTION Registry-GWTG is a partnership between ACCF and the American Heart Association, with support from the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Society of Chest Pain Centers and the Society of Hospital Medicine. The program helps health care providers consistently treat heart attack patients according to the most current science-based guidelines. The program also establishes a national standard for understanding and improving the quality, safety and outcomes of care.