MetroWest Medical Center Recognizes Natick Emergency Medical Personnel for Heroism with 'Call of the Quarter' Award

Framingham, MA - MetroWest Medical Center honored an emergency medical services team from Natick for excellence in pre-hospital care in their most recent ‘Call of the Quarter’ award presentation.

MetroWest recognized Michael Salvucci, Eric Williamson, Jovany Salazar, Ryan Mooney and Michael Quilty for making a life-saving call to the hospital when a patient was experiencing severe chest pain.

In May, the team of responders arrived at the Massachusetts Turnpike service plaza in Natick to assist a semi-truck driver who was experiencing severe chest pain. They quickly identified an ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the most severe type of heart attack, and provided advanced life support during the patient’s transport to MetroWest Medical Center.

Every minute matters when a patient experiences a STEMI. When this happens, the coronary artery is completely blocked, depriving the heart of oxygen. If left untreated, the heart muscle deteriorates and begins to die.

The emergency medical services team working that day immediately alerted the MetroWest Medical Center emergency department the HeartCenter of MetroWest to ensure the patient would receive optimal treatment upon arrival. The patient had a ‘door-to-balloon time,’ the time it takes for a patient to go from the front door of the hospital until blood flow is restored to normal with an angioplasty procedure, of just 21 minutes; the American Heart Association recommends 90 minutes or less to prevent significant damage to the heart muscle.

As a result, the patient's heart blockage was treated quickly and he recovered well. Although the patient lives outside of Massachusetts, they have already returned to Framingham for follow-up treatment due to the excellent care they received.

“The Natick team excelled in playing a critical role in a very time sensitive process,” said Dr. Christopher Gange, director of the cardiac catheterization laboratory at MetroWest Medical Center. “We look forward to continued partnership with Natick EMS and other surrounding communities to deliver excellent outcomes while caring for STEMI patients.”

The “Call of the Quarter” award debuted recently to honor local first responders for the heroic life-saving measures they take in the communities they serve. The award is presented four times each year.

“Communication between first responders and our hospital is absolutely critical, especially when every second counts,” says Ava Collins, CEO of MetroWest Medical Center. “This is one example of many illustrating how close collaboration can literally save lives. This team of emergency medical personnel deserves our highest praise and deepest gratitude.”