CLEBURNE, Texas — Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^® and the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check mark for Acute Heart Attack Ready Certification.

Texas Health Cleburne serves the more than 187,000 residents in Johnson County.

“It’s truly an honor to earn this certification, but the national recognition isn’t our primary motivation,” said Christopher Leu, Texas Health Cleburne president. “We’re committed to providing our community with what they need and deserve — quality emergency cardiac care — and this national certification shows we’re doing just that.”

During the recent site visit, reviewers evaluated the quality of the hospital’s treatment of acute coronary syndrome — described as various conditions that cause sudden reductions in blood flow to the heart — and STEMI, one of the most common and lethal types of heart attacks. STEMI, or ST-elevation myocardial infarction, is caused by a main artery in the heart being completely blocked.

According to The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association, key characteristics of the Acute Heart Attack Ready program include:

• Meeting standards promoting the highest level of commitment to consistent and optimal heart attack care.
• Focusing on symptom onset and first medical contact, emergency medical services, the emergency department and inpatient settings.

The certification is recommended for organizations without on-site primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Texas Health Cleburne has focused on the needs of Johnson County for more than 35 years. With more than 187,000 residents, the county continues to grow, and so does the likelihood of treating more high-acuity cardiac patients.

“This certification demonstrates our willingness and capability to care for individuals when they arrive at our door,” said Danielle Martin, M.S.N., R.N., Chest Pain Program coordinator at Texas Health Cleburne.

As program coordinator, Martin reviews patient charts, tracks important cardiac metrics, and provides educational material for hospital staff.

“We’ve established proficient procedures and processes, so patients receive quality cardiac care,” she said. “Our protocols facilitate the immediate transfer of individuals to either one of Texas Health’s Fort Worth hospitals when critically ill patients require more advanced procedures as well.”

According to statistics from 2008 to 2019 and published in 2020 by the Texas Department of State Health Services, more than 69,000 Texans were admitted to a hospital after suffering a heart attack. Knowing that someone in the U.S. has a heart attack every 40 seconds, Texas Health Resources is committed to meeting the needs of North Texans where they live.

“Texas Health and physicians on the medical staff work to provide lifesaving interventions and treatments to patients in their most vulnerable moments,” said Samantha Harris, D.O., an emergency medicine physician on the Texas Health Cleburne medical staff.

She also serves as the hospital’s Chest Pain Program medical director.

“This certification is a testament of how Texas Health Cleburne provides Johnson County with timely, effective care,” Harris said. “And, more importantly, dedicated individuals are improving outcomes for patients.”

Learn more about Texas Health advancing cardiovascular care throughout North Texas.