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Atmore Community Hospital (ACH) announced Friday that nurses Alayna Brown and Bethany Ealum were recently presented with Lifesaver Awards.

The Lifesaver Award is presented to employees whose actions prevent a potential life-threatening deterioration in the condition of a patient, visitor or fellow employee.

“Alayna and Bethany were caring for a cardiac patient in the emergency department,” Brad Lowery, ACH administrator said. “Their attention to detail definitely expedited the appropriate treatment and potentially saved the patient’s life.”

According to hospital officials, the patient was having a heart attack (NSTEMI) and was being transferred to a higher level of care. Just prior to transport, the nurses noticed that the patient had changes in his heart rhythm that signaled a worsening of his condition.

“They escalated the observation on the heart monitor to the emergency department physician who ordered a repeat EKG,” said Ashley Strawbridge, patient safety and employee health manager. “The physician determined the patient’s condition had worsened and he was now having a more serious type of heart attack.”

Officials said that because of Bethany and Alayna’s actions, the patient was able to receive a thrombolytic medication prior to transport, which greatly improves patient outcomes. Officials also noted that because of the actions of Alayna and Bethany, this patient’s story had a happy ending.