Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) continues to lead the way in life-saving heart and vascular care by becoming the first health system in the state with hospitals designated as Emergency Cardiac Care Centers (ECCC). This new designation from the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) means that when you or someone you know has a heart attack, you can trust Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) to provide fast and effective treatment.

“Receiving the ECCC designation is such a tremendous accomplishment for our team,” says Jason Grady, NGMC regional STEMI coordinator. “But this achievement extends far beyond the walls of our system – connecting first responders, emergency departments and cardiologists throughout the regions to ensure each patient receives the level of care they need.” 

Healthcare organizations seeking ECCC designation by the Georgia DPH undergo a thorough evaluation process, including a site inspection and an assessment of emergency cardiac care processes and equipment. Once these steps are complete, the Georgia DPH uses a three-level designation system to rank the capabilities of each facility:

Level 1 hospitals perform open heart surgery and interventional cardiac catheterizations

Level 2 hospitals perform interventional cardiac catheterizations

Level 3 hospitals stabilize patients until they are transported to a Level 1 or Level 2 center.

Based on these specifications, NGMC Gainesville received Level 1 designation, NGMC Braselton received Level 2 designation and NGMC Barrow and NGMC Lumpkin both received Level 3 designation.

“Receiving ECCC designation speaks volumes about the level of cardiac care NGHS provides,” says Ryan T. Whitney, MD, FACC, interventional cardiologist and chairman of The Heart Center of NGMC. “Our continued dedication to excellent heart and vascular care – both routine and in emergency situations – is saving lives throughout our community and beyond.”

The designation comes almost three years after legislation that created the concept of Emergency Cardiac Care Centers in Georgia was signed into law at NGMC Gainesville on May 3, 2017.

“Jason, our cardiologists and our entire team worked tirelessly for this designation to become a reality – and we had strong support from Gov. Nathan Deal, Sen. Butch Miller, Sen. Renee Unterman and Rep. Lee Hawkins,” says Carol Burrell, president and CEO of Northeast Georgia Health System. “NGHS has a rich history of being the leader in cardiac care, and that legacy continues today.”