Level One Heart Attack Program

Research shows that patients with certain types of heart attacks are much more likely to recover fully if treated within 90 minutes. This includes a treatment known as percutaneous coronary intervention, or coronary angioplasty, which requires a catheterization lab staffed by highly skilled physicians and clinicians.

This type of catheterization lab is typically found only in metro areas but often is not available in rural areas.

The Level 1 Heart Attack Program evolved from the need to connect rural areas with this level of treatment. The program relies upon a high degree of collaboration between community hospitals and Abbott Northwestern Hospital and the Minneapolis Heart Institute®.

A Level 1 team at Abbott Northwestern Hospital begins work immediately. Switchboard operators and security guards expedite patient transfer from the helicopter or ambulance to the catheterization lab, and admitting staff guarantee a patient bed. Later, Abbott Northwestern staff welcome and care for family members when they arrive.

Patients are moved from the helicopter or ambulance directly to the cardiac cath lab, where the team is standing-by.

The process begins when a patient with acute ST-segment elevation MI arrives at a community hospital. After evaluating and stabilizing the patient, the community emergency department declares a Level 1 heart attack. Coordination immediately begins on a number of different fronts. Trained personnel, who understand that a fast response is essential to aid recovery, coordinate emergency transportation and promptly arrange with air or ground crews for the quick transport of the patient.

A Level 1 team at Abbott Northwestern Hospital begins work immediately. Before the patient even arrives, admission staff complete registration information based on data submitted by the community hospital to ensure a bed is available. Designated nurses work closely with key hospital departments to share patient information, such as intubation, cardiac arrest, interpreter requirements and changes in patient status. A full cath lab team, including a registered nurse, cardiovascular technician, radiology technician, clinical cardiologist and interventional cardiologist, are prepared to act when the patient arrives.

Later, Abbott Northwestern staff care for family members when they arrive and escort them to their loved one.

Patients are moved from the helicopter or ambulance directly to the cardiac cath lab, where the Level 1 team is standing-by.

The treatment goal is to direct angioplasty/stenting within 90 minutes from the time patients arrive at their local emergency department to balloon inflation at the Abbott Northwestern catheterization lab. It is a program that requires transportation working in harmony with proven medical procedures, but it all begins with quick decision making by emergency room physicians at non-metro hospitals.

More Information
Please visit Level 1 Locations to learn about how your local hospital works with the Minneapolis Heart Institute and Abbott Northwestern to give you access to the Level 1 Heart Attack Program.

To learm more about the Level One Heart Attack Program, you may watch a video that describes our program and interviews some of our patients and caregivers or read about one patient’s experience  and the Level One Outcome Report. 

View video using Windows Media Player 

For additional information about the program, please contact us at 612-863-3900.