Washington Chapter Plays Critical Role in Stunning Improvements in D2B Times in the U.S.   Cooperation and coordination between AmericanCollege of Cardiology physicians and cardiovascular teams are reaping benefits for Washington patients, in a study released recently.  For patients suffering heart attacks, the faster they reach the hospital door, and undergo balloon opening of the artery, the better the results.   In this study, median door-to-balloon (D2B) times for heart attack patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (opening of blocked artery) following an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) have declined from 94 minutes in 2005 to 64 minutes in 2010, a study published on August 22 in Circulation reports. The improvements represent a more than 30 percent decline in D2B times. The percent of patients with D2B times less than 90 minutes increased from 44.2 percent to 91.4 percent from 2005 to 2010, as did the percent of patients with D2B times less than 75 minutes (23.3 percent to 70.4 percent). The study uses the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data from Jan. 1, 2005, to Sept. 30, 2010. Click here for the whole story.   AMA Code of Conduct ACC has signed on in support of the AMA Code of Conduct. Click above to see the details.  Hospital to Home (H2H) The Hospital to Home (H2H) national quality initiative, cosponsored by the American College of Cardiology and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, is an effort to improve the transition from inpatient to outpatient status for individuals hospitalized with cardiovascular disease. This site is the home of the H2H initiative, and serves as a national clearinghouse of best practices, tools, and strategies related to the transition process for cardiovascular patients. Enroll now to join a community of health care providers that are committed to improving care. Benefits to our participants include: • Access to national experts on issues related to care transitions • Curriculum-based learning environment which will include educational webinars led by the nation’s leading experts on readmissions and care transitions • Customizable implementation tools, strategies and systems to assist in improving patient care transitions H2H is intentionally broad-based and inclusive, incorporating the viewpoints of patients and family caregivers, clinicians across the continuum of care, integrated health systems, communities, policy-makers, and payers. This initiative provides an opportunity for us to achieve together what none of us can accomplish alone. The H2H initiative officially launched on October 22nd with a webinar featuring presentations by Dr. Harlan Krumholz (YaleUniversity), Dr. Janet Wright (American College of Cardiology), Dr. Don Goldmann (Institute for Healthcare Improvement), and Dr. James Fasules (American College of Cardiology). To listen and view the presentation: Click here