The American Heart Association announced a new initiative to strengthen emergency response for cardiac arrest, heart attack, and stroke by addressing communication gaps that arise as mobile technologies transform emergency care. Launching during National EMS Week, the initiative, supported by T-Mobile, will convene EMS agency leadership, hospital executives, and public health partners in 13 cities to identify where technology can better close critical gaps and produce recommendations for future emergency response.
The initiative will be integrated into the American Heart Association's Mission: Lifeline EMS program, which engages more than 1,000 EMS agencies nationwide. It is part of the Association's Nation of Lifesavers movement, aiming to double survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by 2030.
"When communication breaks down in the chain of survival, people die. This initiative translates our national mission into market-level action," said Dr. Kacey Kronenfeld, volunteer co-chair of the American Heart Association's EMS Task Force. "The American Heart Association is uniquely positioned to lead this work, in its role as a national convener shaping next-generation emergency response."
The 13 target markets are: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco. In each city, the Association will host regional system of care forums bringing together EMS leaders to identify and close communication and technology gaps. Market-level insights will feed into national learning, comparative data analysis, and actionable improvement strategies.
Annual national roundtables, co-hosted by the Association and T-Mobile, will convene technology leaders from EMS agencies across the target markets to shape the future of emergency communication systems.
"Connectivity saves lives – and that's not just a tagline for us," said Rod Cruz, vice president of growth and emerging businesses at T-Mobile. "Supporting the American Heart Association in improving how EMS teams, dispatchers and hospitals communicate is a natural extension of that commitment."
With T-Mobile's financial support, the Association also will work to expand participation in Mission: Lifeline EMS recognition nationwide, encouraging more EMS agencies to meet the program's standards for guideline-directed care in cardiac and stroke emergencies.
The American Heart Association, a leading source of health information for over a century, funds groundbreaking research, advocates for public health, and provides resources to save lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. For more information, visit heart.org.
