UnityPoint Health – Iowa Methodist Medical Center Receives National Honor for CPR Excellence

UnityPoint Health – Iowa Methodist Medical Center has received the  American Heart Association’s Target: CPR quality achievement award for its commitment to  treating in-hospital cardiac arrest, ultimately helping to improve survival rates. 

According to the American Heart Association, more than 300,000 adults and children in the  United States experience an in-hospital cardiac arrest each year. Survival from cardiac arrest  largely depends on timely medical emergency team response and effective CPR. The ability  to consistently perform high-quality CPR is crucial for improving cardiac arrest outcomes; the  difference between CPR and high-quality CPR is survival.  

Iowa Methodist Medical Center earned the Target: CPR award for its commitment to  delivering high-quality CPR during in-hospital cardiac arrest events. This recognition reflects  the hospital’s dedication to saving more lives by consistently following the most up-to-date,  research-based guidelines from the American Heart Association. 

At Iowa Methodist Medical Center, care teams are committed to capturing data on  compression rate, depth and fraction (the time spent performing compressions), as well as  other CPR metrics, to ensure patients receive the best possible care during cardiac arrest  events. The hospital earned recognition by collecting and reporting this data for at least half  of its in-hospital cardiac arrest cases.  

“At UnityPoint Health, we are dedicated to elevating patient care not only by applying the  most current evidence-based practices, but also by collecting and analyzing data to  continually refine the way we respond to cardiac events,” said Dr. Wendy Woods-Swafford,  MD, MPH, UnityPoint Health – Des Moines market chief medical officer. “Our goal is to  translate that precision into better outcomes — giving more people in Central Iowa the  opportunity for longer, healthier lives.” 

“We are pleased to recognize UnityPoint Health – Iowa Methodist Medical Center for its  commitment to providing high-quality CPR,” said Paul S. Chan, M.D., MSc, volunteer chair of  the American Heart Association Resuscitation System of Care Advisory Group. “Effective  CPR can be the difference between life and death; during a cardiac arrest, every second and  every compression count.”