Time is of the essence in detecting and treating a heart attack. The first point of care for a person who suffers a heart attack is the Emergency Department, where specially trained physicians and staff quickly assess and treat patients. The immediate goal is to open blocked arteries quickly to restore blood flow to the heart and minimize damage to the heart muscle.
Door-to-Balloon Time
One critical measure of emergency heart care is “door-to-balloon time,” which indicates how quickly a medical team is able to restore blood flow in patients who have a heart attack. Door-to-balloon time is counted from the time a patient comes in the door to the point where he or she undergoes balloon angioplasty to open a blocked artery.
Balloon angioplasty is the most effective treatment for opening blocked arteries, restoring blood flow and reducing damage to the heart muscle. Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin excel in door-to-balloon time. While the standard door-to-balloon time among health care organizations is 90 minutes (based on The Joint Commission’s Acute Myocardial Infarction Core Measure guidelines), our average door-to-balloon time is well below 90 minutes.
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
In the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU), cardiovascular, critical care and internal medicine subspecialists provide medical care to heart attack patients and other cardiac patients requiring intense, specialized care. All nurses in the unit are ACLS (advanced cardiac life support) certified and many have earned the CCRN (certified in critical care nursing) designation. The CICU provides care for about 500 patients per year.
Our Cardiovascular Program continues to receive recognition as one of the top programs nationally. We are honored to provide high-quality, effective care for even the most high-risk patients.
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Check Out Our Heart and Vascular Program Awards and Recognition
The Froedtert & MCW health network has built a reputation for clinical excellence and our research draws patients from around the world. Our Heart & Vascular program recognitions include:
- Premier recognized Froedtert Hospital in 2025 as one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals® according to its independent quality analysis based on a balanced scorecard. The hospitals recognized in the top 50 operated at lower cost and had better outcomes, recording significantly higher inpatient survival rates, fewer patients with complications, lower readmission rates and up to nearly $7,000 less in total costs per patient case. Froedtert Hospital was ranked in the category of top teaching hospitals with a cardiovascular residency program. No other hospital in Wisconsin was recognized with this national distinction.
- The International Cardio-Oncology Society (ICOS) recognizes our Cardio-Oncology Program as a gold level Cardio-Oncology Center of Excellence in 2025. ICOS certification is awarded to institutions and practices that demonstrate superior expertise in the care of patients who have heart disease, are at high risk or experience heart complications with cancer treatment. The ICOS awards bronze, silver and gold certification. Of the two ICOS-certified programs in Wisconsin, we are the only one that meets the stringent requirements needed to be recognized as a gold level Cardio-Oncology Center of Excellence.
- Healthgrades recognized Froedtert Hospital in its 2024 Specialty Excellence Awards, including one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery, one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care and one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention, as well as other specialty achievements in various areas.
- Becker’s Hospital Review recognized Froedtert Hospital within its 2024 list of 100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Heart Programs. Hospitals featured on this list are renowned for delivering superior heart and vascular care that results in high-quality outcomes. As part of a health network that includes eastern Wisconsin’s only academic medical center, our heart and vascular specialists treat a high volume of patients with a wide variety of heart diseases.
- Froedtert Hospital is recognized as a Surgical Quality Partner and Verified Comprehensive Inpatient Vascular Center by the American College of Surgeons Vascular Verification Program. As the first hospital in Wisconsin to receive this designation, this recognition, shows our commitment to our patients in delivering the highest standards in surgical care. Learn more about this recognition.
- The Society for Vascular Surgery's Vascular Quality Initiative (SVS VQI) recognized Froedert Hospital as a Carotid Care Quality Champion by the SVS VQI‘s clinical registry recognition program in 2024. The VQI recognizes select centers across the country as Carotid Care Quality Champions for their dedication to improving the safety and effectiveness of vascular care through participation and engagement in VQI’s carotid artery stenting and/or carotid endarterectomy registries.
- The American Heart Association recognized Froedtert Hospital with the following awards that show our commitment to improving care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely and proper care for heart attacks.
- Get With the Guidelines® Heart Failure Gold Plus Award
- Get With the Guidelines® — Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes
- Get With the Guidelines® — Coronary Artery Disease NSTEMI Gold with Target: Type 2 Diabetes
- Get With the Guidelines® AFib Gold Award
- Get With the Guidelines® — Resuscitation Target CPR; Resuscitation Gold — Audit; Resuscitation Target Survival
- Froedtert Hospital earned the American Heart Association (AHA) Commitment to Quality award, a new AHA recognition, in 2025. The award recognizes adherence to the latest, research-based clinical guidelines to support better outcomes for patients.
- In addition, the hospital was recognized on the American Heart Association’s Target: Heart Failure(SM) Honor Roll and received the AHA’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll™ award.
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