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Level One Cardiac Arrest Centers

The level 1 cardiac arrest center is an innovation that not only increases hospital discharge rates after out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest but also serves as a substantial institutional profit center, according to a new study. Level 1 cardiac arrest centers are analogous to regional level 1 trauma centers. The concept is that coordinated specialized multidimensional care improves clinical outcomes in gravely sick patients. At the first level 1 cardiac arrest center, implemented at St. Cloud (Minn.) Hospital, the result has been a 50% increase in the hospital discharge rate and a net profit margin of more than $20,000 for every patient discharged alive, Dr. Keith G. Lurie reported at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association. 

Read the full article from eCardiologyNews.com.

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