American Heart Association Launches Initiative to Improve Emergency Communication Through Technology

The American Heart Association announced Monday the launch of a new initiative aimed at strengthening emergency response for cardiac arrest, heart attack and stroke by improving communication and technology use among dispatchers, EMS crews and hospitals. The initiative, supported by T-Mobile, will convene EMS agency leadership, hospital executives and public health partners in 13 U.S. cities to identify where technology can be better used to close critical gaps and produce recommendations for the future.

When someone experiences cardiac arrest, a heart attack or a stroke, reliable communication between dispatch, EMS crews and receiving hospitals can mean the difference between life and death. Yet as mobile technologies—from telehealth platforms to mobile stroke units—rapidly transform emergency response, critical gaps in systems of care can arise, leaving lives in the balance. The American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, is addressing those gaps directly through this initiative.

The initiative will be integrated into the American Heart Association's Mission: Lifeline® EMS program to help systems of care work better together. Mission: Lifeline EMS engages more than 1,000 EMS agencies, building on an established national network of recognition and improvement. The initiative is part of the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers movement, a national effort 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 - working alongside EMS leaders to improve care in real communities," said Kacey Kronenfeld, M.D., FAEMS, 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."

In each of the 13 target markets—Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and San Francisco—the American Heart Association will host regional system of care forums bringing together EMS leaders to identify and close communication and technology gaps. These forums will generate market-level insights that 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, 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 across the country to meet the program's standards for guideline-directed care in cardiac and stroke emergencies.