UP Health System – Marquette 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

MARQUETTE, Mich. (Nov. 16, 2026) — UP Health System – Marquette (UPHS – Marquette) has received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2026. UPHS – Marquette is one of only 350 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor.

The award recognizes UPHS – Marquette’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that UPHS – Marquette 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.

To receive the Chest Pain – MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award, UPHS – Marquette demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain – MI Registry for two consecutive years (2024 and 2025) 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 the overall quality of care provided to heart attack patients.

The 2026 Platinum Performance Achievement Award continues a history of national recognition for UPHS – Marquette through the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry. The hospital received Silver Performance Achievement Awards in 2021 and 2023, a Gold Performance Achievement Award in 2024, and Platinum Performance Achievement Awards in 2025 and 2026.

“We are proud to present UP Health System – Marquette with the Platinum Performance Achievement Award in recognition of its national leadership and steadfast commitment to meeting comprehensive performance measures in patient care,” said Leslie L. Davis, PhD, ANP-BC, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee. “UP Health System – Marquette’s achievement reflects its ongoing focus on providing high-quality, guideline-driven care for patients who experience a heart attack and helping ensure they receive exceptional cardiovascular care.”

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that more than 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.

“This recognition reflects the expertise and dedication of our entire Heart & Vascular team and their commitment to providing exceptional care for our patients,” said Dean French, MD, interim market chief executive officer for UP Health System – Marquette and Bell. “For our patients and families, having access to this level of heart care close to home matters, and I’m incredibly proud of the work our team does every day to make that possible.”

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.

“When a patient is experiencing a heart attack, every minute matters,” said Joseph Ackerman, RN, STEMI/chest pain coordinator at UP Health System – Marquette. “This recognition reflects the work our team puts in every day to ensure we’re prepared to provide timely, evidence-based care when our patients need us most. Earning this award year after year shows the consistency and commitment behind the care we provide right here in the Upper Peninsula.”

UPHS – Marquette provides cardiovascular services including general cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, cardiac rehabilitation, clinical research, diagnostic testing, diagnostic and interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, structural heart procedures and vascular care and surgery.

For more information about heart and vascular services at UPHS – Marquette or to take a free heart health assessment, visit UPHealthSystem.com/Heart-Vascular.

About the American College of Cardiology

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) is the global leader in transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health for all. As the preeminent source of professional medical education for the entire cardiovascular care team since 1949, ACC credentials cardiovascular professionals in more than 140 countries who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. Through its world-renowned family of JACC Journals, NCDR registries, ACC Accreditation Services, global network of Member Sections, CardioSmart patient resources and more, the College is committed to ensuring a world where science, knowledge and innovation optimize patient care and outcomes. Learn more at ACC.org or follow @ACCinTouch.