Emergency

Level One Heart Attack Program

One network, 30 partnerships, thousands of lives

In 2003, 30 community hospitals throughout Minnesota partnered with the Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute to change how heart attacks would be treated. That network of 30 hospitals plays a critical role in the program's success. The program is now the gold standard, nationally, for how heart attacks should be quickly diagnosed and treated.

Heart attack deaths have decreased by 50 percent - since the implementation.

The Level One program is the cornerstone all of Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute's Cardiovascular Emergency Services.

"Cool It" - Therapeutic hypothermia for cardiac arrest

Cooling the core body temperature of a patient resuscitated after cardiac arrest is to 33 degrees Celcius can reduce the risk of permanent brain damage. Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute was the first in Minnesota to implement the "Cool It" protocol.

Acute aortic dissection (AAD)

Aortic dissection requires prompt diagnosis and the Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute has worked to educate its 30 hospital partners so they can do just that. Because of this education and rapid transportation arrangements, treatment times have decreased dramatically and AAD deaths have been reduced by 50 percent.

Acute limb ischemia

Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute has worked with its 30 hospital partners to ensure the quickest diagnosis and transport in an Acute Limb Ischemia emergency. The vascular surgery team at Abbott Northwestern's Vascular Center is highly experienced with this type of emergency.

Acute aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair

Following the lead established by the Level One Heart Attack program, Minneapolis Heart Institute ® established a protocol for emergency AAA repair. As a result, the average time required to diagnose AAA was reduced by more than 30 minutes, and the average time from diagnosis to treatment was reduced by more than one hour.

Non-STEMI and unstable angina

Abbott Northwestern's Chest Pain Program has created a more efficient way to treat Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute patients who have chest pain. The trademark of this program is clear identification of which patients require a transfer to Abbott Northwestern and which can remain in their community for testing and/or follow-up care.