UMC EMS received the American Heart Association’s (AHA) 2025 Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Award for its commitment to offering rapid research-based care for the most severe forms of heart attacks and strokes.
This year marks the seventh consecutive year UMC EMS has been recognized by the AHA for its life-saving practices, making a significant difference in neurological and cardiovascular emergencies. Receiving the Gold designation indicates the highest level of achievement available to hospitals through the national organization, according to a news release from UMC Health System.
Mission: Lifeline 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. The program helps reduce barriers to prompt treatment for heart attacks – starting from when 911 is called, to EMS transport and continuing through hospital treatment and discharge. Optimal care for heart attack patients takes coordination between the individual hospital, EMS and health care system.
“When your loved one is having a heart attack or stroke, you want to know that help is coming fast and that they are going to receive the highest quality of care. This recognition from the American Heart Association means our community can count on that, and it reflects UMC EMS’ unwavering commitment to deliver fast, evidence-based care when it matters most. We’re proud to bring that level of dedication and expertise to every 9-1-1 call, every day” said Thomas Moore, UMC EMS Director.
In addition to emergency response, UMC EMS also leads in community training and preparedness. Each year, the team trains approximately 22,000 high school students and 600 community members in life-saving techniques such as CPR and Stop the Bleed.
These efforts have directly saved lives. In one case, students used a tourniquet to save an injured peer in a cattle enclosure. In another, UMC-trained students performed CPR and used an AED to revive Dr. Stephen Stewart, a former UMC Emergency Center provider, after he suffered a medical emergency at his daughter’s graduation. These real-world outcomes demonstrate the power and reach of UMC EMS’s education initiatives. As Moore put it: “When you call, you’re in good hands. Our team and our partner first responder organizations are going to be there with the skill, compassion, and expertise you can count on.”
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