St. Bernards is the Top-Rated Heart Attack Hospital in Arkansas

In a heart emergency, saving time means saving lives.

In a heart attack, time is everything and every second counts. So, the question is: Who do you want caring for you when you’re having a heart-related emergency and there are no second chances?

The St. Bernards Heart Attack Treatment Center in Jonesboro is specially staffed, trained and equipped to respond to heart emergencies. Our heart attack response team continuously has door-to-balloon times of less than 45 minutes, a measurement of how long it takes to open blocked arteries and restore blood flow to the heart. As a result, the American Heart Association has given the St. Bernards heart emergency team the Mission Lifeline Gold Plus designation for our consistent ability to provide high-quality emergency care to STEMI patients (patients who are experiencing a ST-elevated myocardial infarction).    

What is a STEMI and why is the STEMI network a lifesaver?

STEMI is a medical term that stands for ST Elevated Myocardial Infarction. When you’re experiencing a STEMI, you’re having a severe, potentially deadly heart attack.  Your heart is literally dying and there is no time to waste in beginning treatment. Through Arkansas’ STEMI Network, EMTs and first responders can use special equipment to send critical information about the patient’s condition to the Heart Emergency Team at St. Bernards while the patient is being transported. This allows treatment to begin before the patient even arrives. And it allows the heart emergency team to be fully prepared and make the most of every second when the patient does arrive.

St. Bernards is one of the nation’s leading STEMI network hospitals, receiving the Mission: Lifeline® Receiving Center GOLD PLUS Quality Achievement Award seven years in a row and is listed among the U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” for its level of STEMI care.

Surviving a STEMI Heart Attack

1:  Know the warning signs.

2:  Don’t ignore the warning signs. Too often a person experiencing a heart attack will ignore the early signs. This can be fatal.

3:  CALL 911. Don’t try to drive to the hospital. EMTs are specially trained to begin treatment immediately, and St. Bernards STEMI Network will work with your first responders to begin treatment during transport.

Do you know the Warning Signs of A Heart Attack?


Heart Attack Signs in Women


  3. Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.

Early detection can prevent a heart attack from occurring.

HeartScore CT

For just $75, you can uncover heart disease years before you have symptoms.  

Calcium Score screenings are for anyone with no previous coronary intervention. It is recommended for asymptomatic people above the age of 30, with cardiovascular risk factors; family history of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, dyslipidemia or smoking. If you are symptomatic you will need to be seen by your physician.

HeartScore CT from St. Bernards can detect heart disease years before you have a symptom - or a heart attack. Painless and safe, HeartScore CT only takes minutes. There are no needles, no dyes. You simply lie fully clothed on a table. Yet HeartScore CT renders images so clear that it can help physicians find heart disease, even in its earliest stages, when it can best be treated. For more information or an appointment, call 870.268.4425 or fill out the Appointment Request Form below.