Freeman Health System has once again been recognized for its commitment to delivering exceptional cardiovascular care by earning the 2026 American College of Cardiology Chest Pain-MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award.

This prestigious national recognition places Freeman among just 350 hospitals and healthcare systems nationwide to receive the honor. It highlights the hospital’s aggressive goal of treating patients to the highest standards of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.

Statewide, Freeman is just one of 14 Missouri hospitals and health systems recognized with the Platinum status and the only hospital awarded from the Joplin metro area.

“This Platinum Achievement Award reflects the exceptional teamwork and dedication of our entire chest pain and heart attack program,” said Freeman’s Dr. Frank Kim, Service Line Director, Cardiology & Cardiovascular Surgery. “As the region’s only Level I STEMI Center, Freeman is prepared to provide the highest level of care for the full range of patients presenting with chest pain, including STEMI—the most time-critical form of heart attack. I am proud of the commitment our physicians, nurses, staff, and EMS partners show every day to the patients and communities we serve.”

To receive the Chest Pain – MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award, Freeman staff has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain ̶̶ MI Registry for two consecutive years (2024 and 2025), while also performing at the highest level for 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.

Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. suffers a heart attack, totaling around 805,000 attacks each year. Of these, 600,000-plus are first-time attacks. 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.

“Every minute matters when treating a heart attack, and our team's commitment to delivering rapid, high-quality care helps ensure the best possible outcomes for our patients,” said Michelle Wolfe, Freeman’s STEMI Coordinator. “We are honored to receive this national recognition and proud to serve the Four-State region with advanced cardiac care close to home.”
 

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.