Capital Health Receives Second Consecutive Platinum Performance Achievement Award for Treatment of Heart Attack Patients

Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell has received the American College of Cardiology's (ACC) NCDR Chest Pain - MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2026. Home to the first hospital in the Mercer/Bucks County region to receive full accreditation with PCI as a Chest Pain Center, Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell is one of only 350 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor.

For the second consecutive year, the ACC has recognized Capital Health for its commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for high-risk heart attack patients. The award shows that the Chest Pain Center at Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell continues to reach an aggressive goal of treating these patients to the high standards of care outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.

"Receiving this ACC accreditation for two years in a row validates the hard work our team does every day to meet the highest standards for emergency cardiac care," said Dr. Lara Samson, medical director of Capital Health's Chest Pain Center. "More importantly, it lets our patients and their loved ones know they'll receive high-quality care backed by the latest best practices and data from other leading programs across the country."

"This award is a significant accomplishment for our Chest Pain Center and an important part of its history of ACC recognition for excellence in heart attack care," said Dr. Harit Desai, medical director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell. "Being part of the ACC registry isn't just good for our patients. The quality improvements our doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals make here at Capital Health also inform the high standards the ACC sets for similar programs throughout the United States."

The ACC's 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. To receive the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award, Capital Health 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 Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell with the Platinum Performance Achievement Award in recognition of its national leadership and steadfast commitment to meeting comprehensive performance measures in patient care," Dr. Leslie L. Davis, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain - MI Registry Steering Subcommittee. "Capital Health'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.

If you or someone you know is having a heart attack, calling 911 should be your first step to talk with a trained dispatcher and have an ambulance sent to your location as quickly as possible. Treatment can begin on site when the ambulance arrives and may include medication and EKG testing. If on-site testing determines that a heart attack is occurring, Capital Health's pre-hospital alert system immediately mobilizes specialized medical teams in the Emergency Department and Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell to perform additional testing or an emergency procedure as needed when the patient arrives.

To learn more about Capital Health's Chest Pain Center, visit capitalchestpain.org.

Call 911 immediately if you or someone you know is experiencing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.

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.