Week of February 7, 2011 Halton LHIN (MH LHIN) serving South Etobicoke, Mississauga, Halton CaregiversHills & Oakville MISSISSAUGA HALTON LHIN HEALTHCARE PARTNERSHIP BRINGS WORLD CLASS BEST PRACTICES TO HEART ATTACK VICTIMS

WHEN YOU’RE HAVING A HEART ATTACK, EVERY SECOND AND MINUTE COUNTS

“Indigestion … Pain … It’s getting worse … I can’t breathe … Help me …”. This could be the beginning of a story or the end of a story. Happily for patient Ed Skrlj, it was the beginning. On October 14, 2009 Ed wasn’t feeling well. He began to feel symptoms of what he assumed was indigestion. His pain continued to intensify until Ed, the 55 year old father of three, asked his wife to call 911. This story could still have made a tragic downward turn, but again, an integrated initiative, partnering the MH LHIN with Halton, Peel and EMS enabled Ed to receive life-saving treatment within an astounding 48 minutes from the moment the paramedics arrived at his door to the insertion of a catheter in his heart at Trillium Health Centre, the regional hub for the integrated treatment protocol. He is recovering well now. “I was impressed with the calmness and knowledge of all the people who worked on me. Their timely care saved my life”, quotes Ed Skrlj. The protocol is called ‘Code STEMI’ because it refers to a particular type The Canadian Heart and Stroke of heart attack (called ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction) involving a Foundation Advises: blocked artery, the new program has trained Peel, Halton and Toronto EMS  Millions of Canadians are still at risk, and advanced care paramedics to diagnose heart attacks with the ECG from will be, for generations to come. More than their 12-lead heart monitors, and to call a cardiac interventionalist at 50,000 strokes, 75,000 heart attacks and Trillium’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab to confirm the diagnosis and bring the 40,000 cardiac arrests occur every year. patient straight from the ambulance to the operating table in the cath lab, Sadly, one in three deaths in Canada are bypassing their local emergency department. due to heart disease and stroke.  Heart Disease costs the Canadian economy Integrated programs such as the MH LHIN’s Code STEMI team, led by approximately $19 Billion every year in Trillium Health Centre, in partnership with The , medical services, hospitalization expenses, Halton Healthcare Services, William Osler Health System, Halton, Peel loss of income and productivity and Toronto Emergency Medical Services and the Sunnybrook-Osler  The rate of death among patients Centre for Prehospital Care are saving lives. hospitalized for heart attacks has been DECREASED from 16% to 8% LHINs are the only organizations in that bring together healthcare partners from all sectors – hospitals, community care, community support services, community mental health and addictions, community health centres and long-term care. By supporting these important partnerships, such as that of the Code STEMI team, the MH LHIN is ensuring all residents in our community can share ES positive and successful patient experience.

Quotes:

“The Code STEMI program underscores the importance of collaboration and partnerships among regional community health-care providers in offering the highest quality care," said Janet Davidson, O.C., President and CEO of Trillium Health Centre. "We would like to thank the Mississauga-Halton LHIN, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and Peel Region for their support of this successful partnership, along with our partner hospitals and EMS providers."

“I urge everyone to improve their heart health …… learn the symptoms of heart attacks and strokes and call 911…the people who saved my live can save yours too,” adds Mississauga resident, Ed Skrlj.

MH LHIN Communications Contact: Kitty Varley – [email protected], For further information on the MH LHIN please visit www.mississaugahaltonlhin.on.ca

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