Sudden cardiac arrest is a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops beating, abruptly cutting off blood flow to the brain and other vital organs. It can strike anyone, at any age, often without warning.
Nearly 88% of sudden cardiac arrests occur in private residences, according to the American Red Cross, making access to timely, high-quality emergency care close to home a critical factor in survival.
When the heart stops beating effectively, the brain can begin to suffer irreversible damage within just four to six minutes without oxygen.
Additionally, an individual's chance of survival decreases by an estimated 10% for every minute that CPR and defibrillation are delayed, underscoring the importance of rapid recognition, immediate intervention and access to advanced emergency medical care.
In the Rio Grande Valley, residents can count on South Texas Health System's (STHS) seven freestanding emergency departments for close-to-home, nationally recognized resuscitation care.
STHS ER McColl, STHS ER Ware Road and STHS ER Weslaco have each earned the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Resuscitation Silver Quality Achievement Award in recognition of their commitment to delivering guideline-directed, evidence-based care for patients experiencing cardiac arrest.
The achievement reflects the dedication of these freestanding emergency departments to implementing nationally recognized resuscitation protocols, tracking performance through data-driven quality improvement initiatives and continuously enhancing the quality of care provided during life-threatening cardiac emergencies. Through their commitment to evidence-based practices and ongoing performance evaluation, these facilities are helping improve survival rates and recovery outcomes for patients experiencing cardiac arrest when every second counts.
“Successful resuscitation requires exceptional teamwork, clinical expertise and a steadfast commitment to following proven, evidence-based practices,” said Lance Ames, Chief Executive Officer of STHS Edinburg, STHS Children’s and STHS’ seven freestanding emergency departments. “This recognition from the American Heart Association reflects the dedication of our physicians, nurses and support staff, who work together every day to deliver timely, high-quality care when patients need it most. We are proud of this achievement and remain committed to advancing outcomes for those facing life-threatening cardiac emergencies.”
To earn the silver award, hospitals and emergency departments must demonstrate a sustained commitment to delivering high-quality, evidence-based resuscitation care by adhering to the Association’s latest treatment guidelines and meeting specific performance measures established by the program.
STHS ER McColl, STHS ER Ware Road and STHS ER Weslaco received this recognition for consistently meeting key quality benchmarks for the care of patients who experience cardiac arrest while under medical care. The award reflects the facilities’ dedication to implementing proven resuscitation protocols, monitoring performance through continuous quality improvement efforts and ensuring patients receive timely, guideline-directed care designed to improve survival and recovery outcomes.
“We are pleased to recognize STHS ER McColl, STHS ER Ware Rd. and STHS ER Weslaco for their commitment to following the guidelines for in-hospital cardiac arrest,” said Paul Chan, M.D., MSc, volunteer chair of the American Heart Association Resuscitation System of Care Advisory Group. “Hospitals that participate in Get With The Guidelines often achieve better patient outcomes and improved survival rates — a meaningful win for health care systems, families and communities.”
Beyond the Silver achievement award, STHS ER McColl, STHS ER Ware Rd. and STHS ER Weslaco are also recognized with the American Heart Association’s Target: CPR award, joining STHS ER Alamo, STHS ER Mission, STHS ER Monte Cristo and STHS ER Pharr in receiving this distinction.
The ability to consistently perform high-quality CPR is crucial for improving cardiac arrest outcomes; the difference between CPR and high-quality CPR is survival. Target: CPR awarded sites demonstrate they are using Get With The Guidelines - Resuscitation to monitor CPR quality during their Code Blue Events.
Additionally, STHS ER McColl and STHS ER Ware Road earned the American Heart Association’s Target: Survival Award, joining STHS ER Pharr in receiving this distinction.
The Target: Survival Award recognizes healthcare facilities that demonstrate exceptional outcomes for patients who experience in-hospital cardiac arrest. Developed to emphasize lives saved through adherence to the most current, evidence-based resuscitation guidelines, the program evaluates patient survival rates while accounting for factors known to influence outcomes, including cardiac arrest rhythm, the location of the cardiac arrest within the facility and the severity of a patient’s illness.
Collectively, these distinctions reflect STHS’ ongoing commitment to ensuring that patients experiencing life-threatening cardiac emergencies receive timely, high-quality, evidence-based care at its close-to-home freestanding emergency departments, care designed to maximize survival and support recovery.
For more information about South Texas Health System’s freestanding emergency departments, including access to on-site laboratory and radiology services with limited wait times, visit www.southtexashealthsystem.com. From emergency care close to home to advanced diagnostic services, STHS is committed to providing timely, high-quality care when you need it most.
About South Texas Health System
South Texas Health System is a multi-facility healthcare system serving patients throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The system includes four acute care facility campuses with specialties in pediatrics, heart and vascular services, maternity and women’s health and trauma services. Inpatient and outpatient treatment for behavioral health needs and addictive disorders is also provided through the system's South Texas Health System Behavioral facility. South Texas Health System is affiliated with the South Texas Clinical Partners ACO, Prominence Health Plan and Cornerstone Regional Hospital. The system operates an advanced Level I Trauma Center at South Texas Health System McAllen, the first dedicated children’s facility and pediatric ER at South Texas Health System Children’s, the region’s only freestanding heart hospital and specialized cardiac ER at South Texas Health System Heart and seven freestanding emergency rooms located in and around Weslaco, Mission, Edinburg, McAllen, Pharr and Alamo. For more information about the system and its comprehensive services, please visit www.southtexashealthsystem.com.
