MANATEE COUNTY, FL (June 25, 2025) – Manatee County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold achievement award for its commitment to offering rapid and research-based care to people experiencing the most severe form of heart attacks and strokes, ultimately saving lives.
“This is another acknowledgement of our first responders’ commitment to best-practices and making the highest-quality care available to all of our residents and visitors,” said Manatee County District 4 Commissioner Mike Rahn. “They’re making every second count!”
Emergency medical services staff can begin treatment when they arrive—up to an hour sooner than if someone goes to the hospital by car. EMS staff are also trained to provide resuscitation efforts to someone whose heart has stopped. People who arrive by ambulance may also receive faster treatment at the hospital.
Optimal care for heart attack and stroke patients takes coordination between the individual prehospital providers and healthcare systems. Mission: Lifeline EMS® is the American Heart Association's national initiative to advance the system of care for patients with high-risk, time-sensitive disease states, such as severe heart attacks and strokes. The program helps reduce barriers to prompt treatment—starting from when 911 is called, to EMS transport and continuing through hospital treatment and discharge.
“Arguably the most important link in the chains of survival for acute stroke and cardiovascular emergencies is emergency medical services and prehospital professionals,” said Kacey Kronenfeld, M.D., FAEMS, chair of the American Heart Association's Mission: Lifeline EMS Taskforce. “Early condition identification, stabilization and prehospital interventions, and initiation of actions within the regional systems of care provide patients with the best chance for receiving expedient definitive therapies leading to optimal outcomes and maximized quality of life.”
The American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline EMS awards are an important way to recognize the crucial roles and performances of EMS personnel in stroke and cardiac patients’ care. The award focuses on agencies’ on-scene care, bringing to the forefront the collaboration and contributions to patient care for prehospital providers.
“Manatee County EMS is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to providing optimal care for heart attack patients,” said Sean Dwyer, EMS Chief. “The Mission: Lifeline program puts proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, so patients have the best possible chance of survival.”
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About Manatee County EMS:
Manatee County Emergency Medical Services is the primary 911-emergency response service providing out-of-hospital medical care to the citizens and visitors of Manatee County. Responding to approximately 60,000 requests for service each year, Manatee County EMS’s 24 transport units are staffed around the clock by over 200 Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians who provide high-quality and compassionate care to those that live, work, and play in Manatee County. More Information
About Mission: Lifeline
Mission: Lifeline EMS® recognition is the American Heart Association’s program that recognizes prehospital emergency agencies for their quality of care for heart attack and stroke patients. The recognition program focuses on transforming care quality by connecting all heart attack and stroke care components into a seamlessly integrated care system. Key tenets of these systems of care reinforce evidence-based guidelines and measure performance, identify gaps, and engage in quality improvement.
For more information, visit heart.org.