Cape Cod Healthcare

• Cardiovascular

• Treatments & Services
  • Cardiac Surgery
  • Interventional Cardiology
  • Vascular Surgery
  • Stroke Services
  • Electrophysiology
  • Interventional Radiology
  • Emergency
  • Cardiac Rehabilitation
  • Heart Disease
• Continuum of Care
  • Cardiac Rehabilitation
• Find a Specialist
  • Cardiac Surgery
  • Cardiology
  • Interventional Cardiology
• Patient Experiences
  • Peter Van Stratum
  • Suma Akther
  • Mike Betti
  • Elizabeth Loberto
  • John Paul
• Inside CCHC
  • Quality
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  • Jean Estes, RN
  • Dr. Richard Zelman

The ability of Emergency Medical Services and hospitals to quickly identify and treat a heart attack is critical to saving lives. Both the Cape & Islands EMS and the Emergency Rooms at Falmouth Hospital and Cape Cod Hospital are up to this crucial task. Their goal is to have the best possible technology and procedures in place and to work together, quickly and efficiently to beat the clock on the critical door-to-balloon time (the duration of time between the moment a heart attack patient enters the emergency room door until he or she receives an emergency angioplasty).

Communication between EMTs and paramedics in the field and hospital staff is critical to saving lives. When EMTs and paramedics are called to the aid of someone who seems to be suffering from a heart attack, they can fax electrocardiogram results ahead to the hospital, saving valuable time. They also call ahead and arrange for the Cardiac Catheterization Lab team to assemble and prepare for an emergency angioplasty.

While American Heart Association guidelines recommend the time from the initial call to the cardiac interventional procedure be less than 90 minutes, at Cape Cod Hospital our average door-to-balloon times is under 60 minutes.

Many Cape Cod ambulances are equipped with life-saving cardiac devices, which are electronically linked to the two hospitals' emergency departments.

Cape Cod Healthcare’s ability to handle a variety of cardiac problems – while at the same time produce quality outcomes - means that just about any patient can be treated locally.