Citizens Medical Center Among Nation’s Top Performing Hospitals for Treatment of Heart Attack Patients
Citizens Medical Center has received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain ̶MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2026. Citizens Medical Center is one of only 350 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor.
The award recognizes Citizens Medical Center’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that Citizens Medical Center has reached an aggressive goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.
To receive the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award, Citizens Medical Center has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry for two consecutive years (2024 and 2025) 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.
“We are proud to present Citizens Medical Center with the Platinum Performance Achievement Award in recognition of its national leadership and steadfast commitment to meeting comprehensive performance measures in patient care,” Leslie L. Davis, PhD, ANP-BC, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee. "Citizens Medical Center’s achievement reflects its ongoing focus on providing high-quality, guideline-driven care for patients who experience a heart attack and helping ensure they receive exceptional cardiovascular care.”
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.
"This award is a testament to the commitment and collaboration of our physicians, nurses and clinical staff who work together every day to deliver exceptional heart care," said Dr. Ashraf AbuSara, Cardiovascular Medical Director and interventional cardiologist at Citizens Medical Center. "We are proud to provide nationally recognized cardiovascular care right here in our community, giving patients access to high-quality treatment when they need it most."
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.
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) is the global leader in transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health for all. As the preeminent source of professional medical education for the entire cardiovascular care team since 1949, ACC credentials cardiovascular professionals in over 140 countries who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. Through its world-renowned family of JACC Journals, NCDR registries, ACC Accreditation Services, global network of Member Sections, CardioSmart patient resources and more, the College is committed to ensuring a world where science, knowledge and innovation optimize patient care and outcomes. Learn more at www.ACC.org or follow @ACCinTouch.