The measure of an emergency healthcare system is not the prestige of its hospitals or the size of its networks — it is whether patients in critical need receive the care and support that can save their lives.
Unfortunately, in Texas, this standard is too often missed as patients experiencing ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a life-threatening heart attack caused by blocked arteries, frequently encounter delays that could mean the difference between survival and permanent heart damage, or worse, death.
And for individuals in this condition, timely access to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the most effective way to restore blood flow. Yet reaching a capable facility is far from guaranteed, as emergency medical services usually route patients to hospitals within a network rather than those equipped to perform the procedure.
National data reflect the consequences of this system: more than a third of patients failed to receive timely PCI, leaving them at risk of lethal damage.
Such an alarming gap calls for a statewide STEMI bypass law to ensure that ailing people receive immediate and life-saving treatment.
Delayed PCI can be fatal
Clinical research has consistently shown that time is the most critical factor in the survival of STEMI patients.
When a coronary artery is blocked, heart tissues begin to deteriorate almost immediately; even brief delays can lead to irreversible damage or even death.
In these crucial moments, PCI offers the best chance to save lives, as it can reopen obstructed vessels and eventually restore blood flow. Its success, however, depends entirely on rapid access — ideally within 90 minutes of first medical contact or 120 minutes if a transfer is necessary.
Sadly, despite this urgency, many patients still experience frequent delays, mainly because EMS often directs them to hospitals within a network even though a PCI-capable facility is just miles away.
The consequences are clear and measurable: national studies show that for every 30 minutes of delayed PCI, the risk of death also soars by roughly 7.5%.
Such data are not just mere numbers — they play out in real lives. In fact, I personally handled a case in Florida where a man suffered a serious STEMI and was initially taken to a hospital that lacked PCI capability.
But instead of transferring him to the nearest facility equipped to perform the required procedure, system rules dictated that he be transported to a father network-affiliated hospital. Tragically, by the time he arrived at a PCI-capable center, irreversible heart damage had already occurred, which cost him his life.
Although this case happened in another state, the same risks exist in Texas, especially with its 120 community health and hospital systems.
Texas must pass a STEMI bypass law
Texas can no longer delay protections for STEMI patients. Evidence from states like North Carolina and Michigan shows that clear bypass protocols dramatically improve outcomes.
Patients taken directly to PCI-capable hospitals are nearly three times more likely to receive intervention within the 90-minute window, and survival rates rise from roughly 93% to over 95%.
Lawmakers in Texas have the authority to close this critical gap by enacting a statewide STEMI bypass law that empowers EMS to prioritize clinical urgency over network affiliations.
Such decisive action would ensure that every Texan experiencing a heart attack receives the fastest, most effective care possible, translating policy into lives saved.
Sean M. Cleary is the founder of The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary, P.A., a Miami, Florida- based firm aiding victims of medical negligence and catastrophic injury.
Comment
Comments