Cetronia Ambulance Corps has been honored with the American Heart Association’s (AHA) 2017 Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award for quality improvement performance in the treatment of patients who have suffered severe heart attacks. Less than 1 percent of emergency medical services agencies in the United States achieve this status.

The AHA recognizes the critical lifesaving role EMS provides to the overall success of STEMI systems of care, or ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction, a severe heart attack caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart.

Cetronia’s AHA performance award is for EMS providers who for 24 consecutive months achieved 75 percent or higher compliance score for each STEMI electrocardiogram care protocol followed within 10 minutes of being by a patient’s side.

“Our organization is proud to be recognized with this measure of lifesaving excellence,” Cetronia CEO Larry Wiersch said. “Performance improvement is a continuous process, and it requires an uncommon level of commitment from our professionals and constant reinvestment in technology. This award is testimony to the dedication of Cetronia’s people and the community support that keeps us one of the best performing EMS teams in the nation.”

Cetronia Ambulance Corps responds annually to more than 60,000 requests for service and more than 250 special events, standbys and educational programs within the community.