FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
7-9-2025

CONTACT:
Chicot Memorial Medical Center, 870-265-9330

The American Heart Association presents the Get With The Guidelines® – Coronary Artery Disease Rural Recognition Gold award for implementation of quality treatment, care coordination for cardiac patients

LAKE VILLAGE, AR, 7-9-2025— Chicot Memorial Medical Center has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Coronary Artery Disease Rural Gold recognition for its commitment to offering rapid, research-based care to people experiencing non ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS).

In the United States, NSTE-ACS affects more than 625,000 patients annually, or almost three-fourths of all patients with acute coronary syndrome.

“When someone experiences acute coronary syndrome, American Heart Association guidelines call for specific actions performed in the hospital in a consistent and timely fashion to prevent further myocardial damage and to save lives,” said Karen E. Joynt Maddox, M.D., MPH, co-author on the American Heart Association’s presidential advisory on rural health. “Where you live should not determine if you live, and rural communities deserve high-quality cardiac care. Chicot Memorial Medical Center is recognized for consistently providing these patients with the care, guidance, and medical therapy they need to give them the best chance of survival.”

The Get With The Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease Rural Recognition award is earned by hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to treating patients according to the most up-to-date research-based guidelines for NSTE-ACS care as outlined by the American Heart Association.

“We are proud that our team at Chicot Memorial Medical Center is being recognized for the important work we do every day to improve the lives of people in southeast Arkansas who are affected by coronary artery syndrome, giving them the best possible chance of recovery and survival,” said John Heard, CEO. “As a hospital in a rural community, we deal with characteristics, such as extended interfacility transportation times, and limited staffing resources. We’ve made it a goal to make sure those hurdles do not affect the standard of care our patients receive.”

The award recognizes hospitals for their efforts toward acute coronary syndrome care excellence demonstrated by composite score compliance to guideline-directed care, including timely electrocardiogram and troponin results, anticoagulant administration, risk stratification, and follow-up care.

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About Get With The Guidelines®
Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 14 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.