UnityPoint Health Hospitals Recognized Nationally for Excellence in Heart Attack Treatment

UnityPoint Health – Iowa Methodist Medical Center and UnityPoint  Health – Iowa Lutheran Hospital have been recognized by the American College of  Cardiology (ACC) for their commitment to delivering high-quality care to heart attack patients. 

Iowa Methodist Medical Center received the Platinum Performance Achievement Award,  and Iowa Lutheran Hospital received the Silver Performance Achievement Award from the  ACC’s NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry for 2025. Iowa Methodist Medical Center is among  323 hospitals nationwide to achieve the platinum level of recognition, while Iowa Lutheran Hospital is among only 79 to achieve the silver level recognition. 

These awards recognize each hospital’s commitment and success in implementing a higher  standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that Iowa Methodist Medical Center  and Iowa Lutheran Hospital have 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 a Chest Pain ̶MI Registry Performance Achievement Award, a hospital has  demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry for two consecutive  years (2023 and 2024) and performed 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. 

“UnityPoint Health – Des Moines is honored to have Iowa Methodist Medical Center and Iowa  Lutheran Hospital recognized with a Performance Award for the hospitals’ leadership and  dedication to meeting comprehensive performance measures in heart attack care,” said Dr.  Wendy Woods-Swafford, MD, MPH, UnityPoint Health – Des Moines market chief medical  officer. “These awards reflect our commitment to providing the highest quality cardiovascular  care.”

Iowa Methodist Medical Center and Iowa Lutheran Hospital are two of nine UnityPoint Health  hospitals that received performance achievement awards from the American College of  Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain ̶MI Registry for 2025.  

“We are thrilled to offer high-quality heart care to the communities we serve and to provide an  exceptional patient experience,” said Gregory R. Johnson, MD, SFHM, UnityPoint Health  chief medical officer. “We know how much it means to have this level of care close to home  and we are thankful for these awards that show we are the right choice for treating heart  attacks.” 

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that more than 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. 

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. 

More information on heart and vascular care at UnityPoint Health can be found on our  website, www.unitypoint.org/find-a-service/heart-care.