St. Mary’s Hospital among nation’s top-performing hospitals for treatment of patients with heart attack

ATHENS, Ga. – St. Mary’s Hospital has received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain-Myocardial Infarction (MI) Registry Silver Performance Achievement Award for 2026. St. Mary’s is one of only 71 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor.

The award recognizes St. Mary’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that St. Mary’s has 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 the Chest Pain-MI Registry Silver Performance Achievement Award, St. Mary’s has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain-MI Registry for four consecutive quarters during 2025 and performed with distinction in 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. 

“We are proud to present St. Mary’s with the Silver Performance Achievement Award in recognition of its national leadership and steadfast commitment to meeting comprehensive performance measures in patient care,” said Leslie L. Davis, PhD, ANP-BC, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain- MI Registry Steering Subcommittee. "St. Mary’s achievement reflects its ongoing focus on providing high-quality, guideline-driven care for patients who experience a heart attack and helping ensure they receive exceptional cardiovascular care.”

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that over 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.

“St. Mary’s is proud to be a leader in high-quality cardiac care,” said Stonish Pierce, President and CEO of Trinity Health Georgia. “From raising community awareness of prevention and early signs of heart attack, to rapid diagnosis and treatment in our Emergency Department and Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, to Cardiac Rehab and lifelong wellness, we are committed to high-level care with higher-level caring.”

In addition to receiving the Chest Pain-MI Registry Silver Performance Achievement Award, St. Mary’s is accredited by the American College of Cardiology as a Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI. PCI stands for percutaneous coronary intervention, which uses minimally invasive balloon angioplasty and stent implantation to reopen clogged coronary blood vessels.

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.

About the American College of Cardiology

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) is the global leader in transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health for all. 

• As the preeminent source of professional medical education for the entire cardiovascular care team since 1949, ACC credentials cardiovascular professionals in over 140 countries who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. 

• Through its world-renowned family of JACC Journals, NCDR registries, ACC Accreditation Services, global network of Member Sections, CardioSmart patient resources and more, the College is committed to ensuring a world where science, knowledge and innovation optimize patient care and outcomes. 

Learn more at www.ACC.org or follow @ACCinTouch.

About Trinity Health Georgia dba St. Mary’s Health Care System  

A member of Trinity Health, the fifth-largest health care system in the U.S., St. Mary’s Health Care System is a non-profit, regional, Catholic teaching system whose mission is to be a compassionate and healing presence in the communities it serves. 

• St. Mary’s includes hospitals in Athens, Lavonia and Greensboro, a multi-specialty medical group, 3,200 employees, over 800 physicians, graduate medical education, home health and hospice services, a retirement community, extensive outpatient services, residency programs and a clinical affiliation with the University of Georgia. 

• Among its numerous awards and accreditations are: 

  • The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval for Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center

  • American College of Cardiology accreditation as a Chest Pain Center with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, and 

  • Other awards for stroke care, hip, knee and spine surgery, and cardiac resuscitation. 

• Founded in 1906 and originally sponsored by the Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Sisters of Mercy, St. Mary’s has served patients, families, businesses and communities across Northeast Georgia for 120 years with High-Level Care, Higher-Level Caring.