DENTON, Texas — Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Denton is just the third hospital in Texas and one of fewer than 20 hospitals in the nation to receive a prestigious heart attack care certification.

Texas Health Denton earned Comprehensive Heart Attack Center certification* from Joint Commission, offered in collaboration with American Heart Association.

“It’s truly humbling to be included with the handful of hospitals in Texas holding this certification, but it goes beyond the accolades,” said Jeff Reecer, Texas Health Denton president. “We’re driven by a commitment to provide high-quality cardiovascular care with compassion by all involved, from the physicians on the medical staff to nurses to each and every hospital employee.”

The advanced certification requires health facilities to complete a rigorous on-site Joint Commission review, along with continuously providing:

• Cardiac surgical services and primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• A full range of support for critically ill patients seeking advanced treatment for severe conditions, such as cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest

“This achievement required hard work, dedication and compassion from the entire care team,” said Stephanie Adams, M.S.N., R.N., Heart and Vascular Service Line director at Texas Health Denton. “It demonstrates that our patients receive high-quality care from a multidisciplinary team — from the identification and treatment of cardiovascular disease to the prevention and treatment of heart attacks, and finally, to recovery and cardiac rehabilitation.”

Sunita Koshy-Nesbitt, M.D., MBA, a clinical cardiac electrophysiologist, said earning national certification is more than just meeting the criteria, especially when you consider that every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a heart attack.

“Texas Health Denton is the second facility within the organization to earn the certification, and we are so proud of the care team and the work that they have done,” said Koshy-Nesbitt, who also serves as Texas Health’s Hospital Channel chief quality officer and as chief medical and quality officer for Texas Health Physicians Group**.

“It reflects how Texas Health is meeting the needs of North Texans where they live. No matter the ZIP code or level of care needed, our goal is to help prevent, identify and address cardiac conditions for everyone who enters our doors.”

Texas Health Dallas was one of the first facilities in Texas to earn certification. To learn how Texas Health is advancing heart and vascular care throughout North Texas, click here.

*Joint Commission partnered with the American Heart Association to develop different cardiac certification levels to represent the services an organization can provide for patients experiencing chest pain related to acute coronary syndrome (ACS), including ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. Comprehensive Heart Attack Centers provide both cardiac surgical services and primary PCI 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year.

**Providers employed by Texas Health Physicians Group are not employees or agents of Texas Health Resources hospitals.