Mount Nittany Health Emergency Medical Services has been honored with the American Heart Association’s 2025 Mission: Lifeline® Gold Plus Target: Heart Attack Honor Roll award, recognizing its outstanding commitment to excellence in the care of heart attack and stroke patients.
The national accolade highlights the EMS team’s sustained ability to provide care that meets or exceeds best-practice guidelines for the treatment of heart attack and stroke patients in the field — a testament to their training, preparedness, and compassion.
“Patients experiencing a heart attack or stroke are in expert hands with our EMS team,” said Chris Hockenberry, NREMT-P, Manager, Emergency Medical Services, Mount Nittany Health. “Earning Gold Plus Target: Heart Attack Honor Roll underscores their compassion, professionalism, and deep commitment to delivering the highest quality care when our community needs it most.”
The Mission: Lifeline® program evaluates emergency response systems for their ability to deliver time-sensitive treatment to patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) — a serious type of heart attack — and suspected strokes. To achieve Gold Plus designation, EMS providers meet high-performance benchmarks, including:
- Perform 12-lead electrocardiograms within 10 minutes of EMS contact
- Transport ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-capable hospitals within 90 minutes
- Implement transfer protocols between hospitals
- Provide key care for suspected stroke — from pre-arrival notification and glucose checks to stroke screenings en route — all in a consistent and efficient manner.
This recognition reflects the dedication and readiness of Mount Nittany Health EMS professionals to deliver best-practice care, reinforcing the health system’s mission of “Healthier people, stronger community.”
