Mission: Lifeline is a unique initiative in that it:
- Addresses continuum of care for STEMI patients from entry into the system, through the system, and back to local community and provider for secondary prevention.
- Preserves a role for the community STEMI Referral hospital (non-PCI capable)- one of Mission: Lifeline's guiding principles.
- Understands the issues specific to rural communities and importance of promoting different solutions/protocols for rural vs urban/suburban areas.
- Understands the issues of implementing national recommendations on a community level (no "one size fits all" solution) considering local geography, resources, legislation, and regulation.
A well defined set of principles guide the efforts of Mission: Lifeline. The initiative values:
- Patient-centered care as the No. 1 priority
- High-quality care that is safe, effective, and timely
- Stakeholder consensus on systems infrastructure
- Increased operational efficiencies
- Appropriate incentives for quality, such as "pay for performance," "pay for value," or "pay for quality"
- Measurable patient outcomes
- An evaluation mechanism to ensure quality-of-care measures reflect changes in evidence-based research, including consensus-based treatment guidelines
- A role for local community hospitals so as to avoid a negative impact that could eliminate critical access to local health care
- A reduction in disparities of healthcare delivery, such as those across economic, education, racial/ethnic, or geographic lines
