Monument Health Heart and Vascular Institute recognized for chest pain treatment

RAPID CITY, S.D. (July 26, 2022) – At first, Allie Frankhauser thought it was indigestion. She and her husband were driving from Rapid City to their home in Chadron, Neb. Somewhere near Hot Springs, she pulled over and asked her husband to drive. By then, her chest pain was unbearable. It felt as if an elephant was sitting on her chest.

Her husband called 911, and a short time later she was rushed to Monument Health Rapid City Hospital, where she was immediately taken into the catheterization laboratory. Heart and Vascular Institute (HVI) Cardiologist Drew Purdy, M.D., placed five stents in Allie’s heart.

“Dr. Purdy and his team were so awesome. The care was tremendous. I felt so special and cared for and I guess I was never even afraid,” Allie said later. “Everybody made me feel so secure and so comfortable. There’s a lot of compassion there in that cardiac unit. I got the best of care and couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

Allie’s story is one of the reasons that Monument Health’s HVI has been getting national attention. For the 11th straight year, the American College of Cardiology presented the NCDR Chest Pain–MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award to Monument Health, which is one of only 240 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor this year.

The award recognizes HVI’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients. It also signifies that Monument Health has reached an aggressive goal of providing these patients with levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.

The Center for Disease Control estimates that more than 700,000 Americans suffer heart attacks each year. 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.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Dan Daly
Monument Health
605-755-9178
ddaly@monument.health