Sanford Bismarck honored for heart attack treatment
July 9, 2025
Contact:
Chelsey Kralicek
Sanford Health Media Relations
701-516-4903 / Chelsey.Kralicek@SanfordHealth.org
Sanford Bismarck Medical Center among nation’s top performing hospitals for treatment of heart attack patients
American College of Cardiology NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award recognizes sustained, high-level performance in quality of care
BISMARCK, N.D. – Sanford Medical Center Bismarck has received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2025. Sanford Bismarck is one of only 323 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor.
The award recognizes Sanford Health’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that Sanford Bismarck 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.
“Our team is committed to delivering the exceptional heart care our patients deserve, said Bill Kopp, vice president of operations at Sanford Bismarck. “This recognition reflects the unwavering dedication of our clinicians and staff who work tirelessly every day to deliver life-saving care and advance cardiovascular health. It reaffirms our commitment to providing the highest standard of care to every patient, every time.”
To receive the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award, Sanford Bismarck has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry for two consecutive years (2023 and 2024) and performed 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.
“I am honored to be part of the dedicated team that delivers timely, life-saving care to heart attack patients,” said Dr. Nayan Desai, MD, FACC, interventional cardiologist and Chair of Cardiology, Sanford Bismarck. “This recognition speaks to the strength of our coordinated, evidence-based approach to treating heart attacks. Behind every successful outcome is a multidisciplinary team that acts swiftly, precisely, and with unwavering commitment to every patient we serve. I’m proud that we’re able to bring world-class, advanced cardiac care to our patients and community—right here in rural North Dakota.”
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.
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.
For more information about Sanford Health, visit sanfordhealth.org.
The Sanford Bismarck region provides health care to central and western North Dakota, eastern Montana and northern South Dakota. It includes 26 clinics in Bismarck, Mandan, Minot, Dickinson, Williston and Watford City, as well as a Level II trauma center located in Bismarck.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization has 53,000 employees and serves over 2 million patients and nearly 425,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes a network of 56 hospitals, 288 clinic locations, 147 senior care communities, 4,000 physicians and advanced practice providers and nearly 1,500 active clinical trials and studies. The organization’s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to 78 specialties. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
