The American Heart Association is launching a new initiative aimed at strengthening emergency response for cardiac and stroke events by addressing critical gaps in communication and technology use among dispatch, EMS crews, and hospitals. Announced during National EMS Week, the effort will convene EMS agency leadership, hospital executives, and public health partners in 13 cities to identify where technology can be better leveraged and to produce recommendations for improving systems of care.
Supported by T-Mobile, the initiative will focus on markets including Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco. Through regional system of care forums, stakeholders will share insights, compare data, and develop actionable strategies to close gaps in emergency communication processes. These local efforts will feed into annual national roundtables co-hosted by the American Heart Association and T-Mobile, which will bring together technology leaders from EMS agencies to shape the future of emergency communication systems.
The initiative is integrated into the Association's Mission: Lifeline® EMS program, which engages over 1,000 EMS agencies nationwide. It is part of the Nation of Lifesavers movement, a national effort aiming to double survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by 2030. According to Dr. Kacey Kronenfeld, volunteer co-chair of the American Heart Association’s EMS Task Force, “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.”
Rod Cruz, vice president of growth and emerging businesses at T-Mobile, emphasized the importance of connectivity in saving lives. “Supporting the American Heart Association in improving how EMS teams, dispatchers and hospitals communicate is a natural extension of that commitment,” he said. The financial support from T-Mobile will also help expand participation in Mission: Lifeline EMS recognition, encouraging more agencies to meet standards for guideline-directed care in cardiac and stroke emergencies.
The initiative addresses the rapid transformation of emergency response through mobile technologies such as telehealth platforms and mobile stroke units, which can create critical gaps if not properly integrated. By fostering collaboration among key stakeholders, the American Heart Association aims to ensure that technology enhances rather than hinders the chain of survival. The forums and roundtables will generate market-level insights and national learning, with the goal of producing actionable improvement strategies that can be implemented across communities.
