Arch Health Medical Group cardiologists have earned the Chest Pain – MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for outstanding treatment of heart attack patients from the American College of Cardiology for their treatment of patients at Palomar Medical Center Escondido. The hospital is one of only 140 in the nation to receive this award.

“As a Platinum Performance Award recipient, Arch Health cardiologists and Palomar Medical Center Escondido are leaders in setting the national standard for improving quality of care in patients with acute myocardial infarction,” said Michael C. Kontos, MD, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center.

To earn the award, Arch Health cardiologists demonstrated sustained achievement and performed at the highest level for specific performance measures demonstrating a commitment to providing reliable, comprehensive treatment for heart attack patients based on current clinical guideline recommendations.

“We are saving lives,” said Dr. Mikhail Malek, Arch cardiologist and medical director for Palomar Health’s Heart and Vascular Center of Excellence. “One day you or your loved one might get a second chance at life because of the outstanding care our team provides.”

The Center for Disease Control estimates that almost 700,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling and cardiac rehabilitation, among others.