Wake County EMS earns national award for lifesaving heart care
Wake County EMS said 118 cardiac-arrest patients survived in 2025, a 15% rate that topped the 10.5% national average and earned a national award.
Wake County EMS said 118 cardiac-arrest patients survived in 2025, a 15% survival rate that outpaced the 10.5% national average and helped earn the agency the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold achievement award. The county announced the honor on June 8, saying the recognition reflects coordinated care for heart attack, stroke and cardiac arrest patients across Wake County.
The award points to the work that starts the moment a 911 call comes in. Wake County said paramedics, EMTs, dispatchers and hospital partners are trained to move quickly from the field to definitive treatment, with prehospital care serving as active treatment rather than just transport. For suspected stroke, the benchmarks include pre-arrival notification, documenting last known well, blood glucose checks and stroke screening. For suspected heart attack, the measures include a 12-lead ECG within 10 minutes, aspirin administration and pre-arrival notification within 10 minutes for STEMI-positive ECGs.
The American Heart Association’s 2026 criteria for Gold recognition require at least 75% annual compliance on each required measure, plus a Silver or Gold award in 2025. Wake County also sits on the association’s Target: Heart Attack Honor Roll and Target: Stroke Honor Roll, signaling that the county’s EMS system is performing at a high level on time-sensitive emergencies that often decide outcomes in minutes.
County Commissioner Shinica Thomas used the announcement to frame EMS as both a public-health and public-safety investment, arguing that residents benefit when the county backs staff and hospital partnerships that let crews focus on saving lives. EMS Director Jon Studnek said the agency’s responsibility is to deliver the highest possible quality of care because patients’ lives are on the line. Studnek took over as director on Jan. 16, 2024, after Chris Colangelo retired in November 2023 following 30 years leading Wake County EMS.
The new award builds on a record Wake County has been citing for several years. In 2023, the agency reported 103 code saves and a 12.4% code-save rate, which the county described as one of the nation’s more successful cardiac-arrest survival programs. Wake County also marked the 15th annual Code: Celebrate! event in 2024, when about 100 people attended the first night, and the county continues to offer free hands-only CPR classes, a practical step that can help residents act before EMS crews arrive.
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