SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital Among Nation’s Top Performing Hospitals for Treatment of Heart Attack Patients
SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Mt. Vernon, IL , has received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2025. This health care ministry is one of only 323 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor.
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that over 800,000 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
“It is an honor to award SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital with the Platinum Performance Award for their valuable national leadership and dedication to meeting comprehensive performance measures in patient care,” said Michael C. Kontos, MD, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee, and cardiologist at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. “The receipt of this award indicates that this rural hospital remains committed to providing top-quality, guideline-driven care for heart attack patients. Their success ensures patients are receiving the highest quality cardiovascular care.”
The award recognizes SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients. To receive the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award, SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry for two consecutive years (2023 and 2024) and performed at the highest level for specific performance measures. Full participation in the registry engages hospitals in a robust quality improvement process using data to drive improvements in adherence to guideline recommendations and overall quality of care provided to heart attack patients.
“Receiving the Platinum Performance Achievement Award is a reflection of our team’s unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional, evidence-based care to heart attack patients in our community,” said Mackenzie Castaneda, BSN, RN, Stroke and Chest Pain Coordinator at SSM Health in Southern Illinois. “This recognition underscores the dedication of our entire cardiovascular team, from emergency responders to rehabilitation specialists. Ensuring that every patient receives timely, life-saving treatment guided by the latest clinical standards, we’re proud to be setting a national example for rural hospitals.”
Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry empowers health care provider teams to consistently treat heart attack patients according to the most current, science-based guidelines and establishes a national standard for understanding and improving the quality, safety and outcomes of care provided for patients with coronary artery disease, specifically high-risk heart attack patients.
