- the deadliest type of heart attack. Unfortunately, a significant number don't receive prompt reperfusion therapy, which is critical in restoring blood flow. Worse yet, 30 percent of STEMI victims don't receive reperfusion treatment at all.
Mission: Lifeline™ seeks to save lives by closing the gaps that separate STEMI patients from timely access to appropriate treatments.
Although Mission: Lifeline is focusing on improving the system of care for the nearly 400,000 patients who suffer from a STEMI each year, improving that system will ultimately improve care for all heart attack patients.
The Mission: Lifeline Summary Table provides an easy reference tool that helps disseminate each STEMI system component. The table identifies each component definition, ideal strategy, resources, metrics and preliminary criteria.
Breaking News: 2009 Focused Update for Management of STEMI Patients recommends Mission: Lifeline tools. More details
Customer Webinar on January 11, 2010 that featured STEMI Guidelines lead authors, Dr. Frederick Kushner and Mary M. Hand. More details
November 2009: AHA-GWTG finds that hospitals with different primary PCI volumes have similar in-hospital mortality. More details
October 2009: Mission: Lifeline launches its Hospital Recognition Program for STEMI Referral and STEMI- Receiving Centers. More details
Kumbhani, B. et al. Association of Hospital Angioplasty Volume in STEMI with Quality Outcomes. JAMA. November 23, 2009:302:20. Read article
Wang, Tracy. et al. "The Dissociation Between Door-to-Balloon Time Improvement and Improvements in Other Acute Myocardial Infarction Care Processes and Patient Outcomes." Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(15):1411-1419. Read article
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Mission: Lifeline is the American Heart Association's national initiative to advance the systems of care for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The overarching goal of the initiative is to reduce mortality and morbidity for STEMI patients and to improve their overall quality of care. 
Heart attack is a leading cause of death for Americans.
The American Heart Association partners with other organizations to raise awareness of the critical need for STEMI systems of care across this nation. 
No one is immune to STEMI.