Memorial Regional Hospital Becomes Florida's First Resuscitation Center for Excellence

Memorial Regional Hospital is the first hospital in the state of Florida to become a Resuscitation Center of Excellence (RCOE), meeting over 30 required evidence-based criteria in cardiac arrest care. Memorial Healthcare System signed the program attestation alongside the Association of EMS Medical Directors and chiefs from surrounding Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies.

As part of the program, Memorial commits to expand and enhance cardiac arrest care through collaborative efforts with EMS agencies to offer patients advanced therapies that have been shown to improve survival, including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and rapid, around-the-clock interventional cardiology coverage for lifesaving procedures.

Dr. Ben Abo, President of the Florida Association of EMS Medical Directors (FAEMSMD) states, “by developing a progressive and aggressive Center of Excellence, it provides a strong basis to improve cardiac care and collaboration statewide.”

The chance of surviving a cardiac arrest outside of the hospital environment is relatively uncommon, at around 10% of cases. However, through EMS collaboration allowing access to these treatments and by improving bystander CPR and AED use rates, the likelihood of survival can be significantly improved. For this reason, the program also aims to integrate regular bystander CPR courses into the community, alongside providing extra educational materials centered on preventing cardiac diseases and using AEDs.

“We are grateful to all involved, including our esteemed EMS agencies, who are vital in helping us elevate cardiac care in the community we serve,” said Peter Powers, CEO of Memorial Regional Hospital. " As the region’s leading Level 1 Trauma Center, Memorial Regional Hospital, is proud to collaborate on innovative strategies that enhance community health outcomes. We are committed to setting world-class standards right here in Hollywood."

When asked about what the program means for the community, Eric Bassan, MD, RCOE medical director and associate medical director of Emergency Services at Memorial Regional Hospital, said, “With this program, patients and families can be confident they will receive the best care during some of their most difficult times. Through the RCOE, Memorial Regional Hospital is committed to improving patient care not only in the hospital, but also throughout the community.”