CWFD Nationally Recognized for Commitment to Quality Care for Heart Attacks and Strokes

The Camas-Washougal Fire Department has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline^® EMS Silver 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 award recognizes CWFD’s excellent care for STEMI and Stroke patients through seven metrics measured in the 2024 calendar year. The metrics are listed below with the CWFD’s percentage listed in bold.

Mission: Lifeline EMS Award Stats:

• American Heart Association EMS1: Pre-arrival notification for suspected stroke - 100%
• American Heart Association EMS2: Documentation of last known well for patients with suspected stroke - 99.25%
• American Heart Association EMS3: Evaluation of blood glucose for patients with suspected stroke - 90%
• American Heart Association EMS4: Stroke Screen Performed and Documented - 100%
• American Heart Association EMS5: 12-lead ECG performed within 10 minutes for suspected heart attack - 77.5%
• American Heart Association EMS6: Aspirin administration for STEMI-positive ECG - 100%
• American Heart Association EMS7: Pre-arrival notification ≤ 10 minutes for STEMI positive ECG - 100%

“This recent award is a testament to our team’s commitment to providing the highest level of care to those we serve,” said CWFD EMS Division Chief, Shaun Ford. “I’m thankful for the dedication our first responders bring every day, and I know the public is too.”

Silver was the highest-level award CWFD could receive this year, as this was their first year submitting the data. If the CWFD can maintain this level of care, next year they will be eligible for a Gold award.

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. Optimal care for heart attack and stroke patients takes coordination between the individual pre-hospital providers and healthcare systems.

About Mission: Lifeline

Mission: Lifeline EMS® recognition is the American Heart Association’s program that recognizes pre-hospital 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.