Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital is the first hospital in the Atlanta metro area and fourth in the state to be recognized as a level 1 emergency cardiac care center, the state's highest designation.
Georgia's Department of Public Health issued the designation, which requires a hospital to provide the highest quality and highest level of emergency cardiac care services, including cardiac catheterization and angioplasty to treat heart attack patients, and advanced cardiothoracic surgical procedures.
In 2017, the Georgia General Assembly passed legislation to establish the three-level designation system and create the health department office of cardiac care. The measures are meant to help better identify a hospital's emergency cardiac care capabilities and improve patient outcomes after suffering a heart attack.