Implementation and evaluation of the Maine HeartSafe Communities Initiative

In 2005, the Maine CDC/DHHS Cardiovascular Health Program began implementation of HeartSafe Communities (HSC), a recognition program for local Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers making progress addressing cardiovascular (CV) events. HSC enhance capacity and systems to improve acute CV event outcomes by achieving criteria based on the CV “Chain of Survival.” HSC objectives are: Improve emergency response capacity for acute CV events; Promote awareness of EMS as a resource; Increase acute CV events symptom recognition and awareness of the importance of calling 911; Increase use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), automated external defibrillators (AED), and 911; and Improve CVD outcomes in Maine. Evaluation of the intervention includes: the Maine HSC database (application and bi-annual re-application data); Key informant interviews (environmental changes and facilitators/barriers); and BRFSS heart attack and stroke module data. Key Findings: The number of HSC increased over time (8, 2006; 29, 2008; 54, 2010). HSC cover over 261 towns, cities and a college campus, and over 800,700 residents (62% of the population). HSC significantly increased community CPR/AED trainings, increased community CV health education, achieved modest increases in clinically based criteria, and 100% of HSC achieved EMS training requirements. A significantly higher percentage of Maine adults could identify all heart attack symptoms and would call 911 for a heart attack (15.1%, 2009 vs. 10.2%, 2001); and could identify all stroke symptoms and would call 911 for a stroke (20.8%, 2009 vs. 15.4%, 2001. This presentation will discuss HeartSafe Communities, evaluation findings and implications for future emergency response interventions.