Shelley and Chad Lynch, founders of ACLS Academy, recently attended the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) conference in Chicago on September 25th and 26th. During this event, they had the opportunity to network with exceptional colleagues from the AHA Training Network, gain insights into the ECC Committee’s ambitious 2030 goals, and commemorate the AHA’s 100th anniversary. The conference also highlighted exciting developments in AHA’s expanded course offerings, many of which will soon be available at ACLS Academy’s training sites, further enhancing their commitment to top-tier medical education.

The AHA's ECC program trains people globally on how to respond to cardiac arrest and first aid emergencies. The ECC Training Network Conference is designed to provide valuable insights and hands-on experiences in the field of ECC. The recent 2-day conference was the first held since 2019 and offered healthcare professionals involved in ECC training a unique platform to engage with experts, network and share knowledge, improve their skills as instructors and AHA Training Centers, and stay updated on the latest advancements in CPR and ECC training techniques and technologies. Key highlights of the conference included:

• Peer-to-peer presentations where attendees learned from their peers through insightful presentations covering a wide range of topics related to CPR and ECC training.

• Live demonstrations and exhibits to experience hands-on demonstrations of the latest CPR Manikins and training aids. These sessions highlighted the importance of using advanced tools to create lifelike emergency scenarios, enhancing the realism and effectiveness of training.

• Networking opportunities to connect with the AHA, Training Network colleagues, and other professionals in the field to share experiences, discuss challenges, and explore new ideas.

• AHA guidelines and compliance updates, communication of national campaigns, new training courses, and presentation of ECC Program 2030 impact goals and call to action to improve cardiac arrest outcomes.

• Course highlights and training strategies for continuous improvement of student training focused on Advanced Stroke Life Support (ASLS), Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and PALS Plus.

• A Scientific Session on Maternal Cardiac Arrest.

• A training opportunity to take the ACLS for Experienced Providers (ACLS EP) course. This new course goes beyond the core ACLS training by offering critical thinking opportunities for those advanced, experienced healthcare professionals who use ACLS regularly. ACLS EP aims to improve outcomes in complex cardiovascular, respiratory, and other (e.g., metabolic, toxicologic) emergencies by expanding on core ACLS guidelines and encouraging critical thinking and decision-making strategies. 

American Heart Association’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) 

The AHA’s ECC Program trains millions globally annually by educating healthcare providers, caregivers, and the general public on responding to cardiac arrest and first aid emergencies. ECC's vision is of a world where no one dies from cardiac arrest. 

The AHA's long-standing commitment to improving emergency cardiovascular care began decades ago when, in 1963, the AHA formed its CPR Committee and formerly endorsed CPR. A few years later, in 1966, the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences convened an ad hoc conference on cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the first CPR and ECC national conference. This national conference began developing standards and guidelines for CPR and emergency cardiovascular care in 1979, evolving into a global effort to save lives and set the standard for life-saving techniques. Today, the AHA's guidelines are reviewed and updated every five years to reflect new scientific research and data. 

ECC’s 2030 Impact Goals and Call to Action to Improve Cardiac Arrest Outcomes

Every year, 350,000 people die from cardiac arrest in the United States. The AHA’s ECC goal is to bring that number down to zero. In January 2024, the ECC Committee, a volunteer advisory committee, published its 2030 impact goals and call to action to improve cardiac arrest outcomes. These goals are established every 10 years, align with broader AHA Impact Goals, and support the AHA’s advocacy efforts and strategic investments in research, education, clinical care, and quality improvement programs. 

One of the ECC 2030 goals, as outlined in the AHA Journals, is to increase cardiac arrest survival rates by approximately 10% to 20%, with specific targets set for adult and pediatric groups. Here are the specific metrics targeted to reach that goal;

ACLS Academy is an authorized American Heart Association (AHA)- Aligned Training Center. We have three convenient locations in Massachusetts—Quincy, Bridgewater, and Newton Center—and most of our classes include an online training component. We provide high-quality courses taught by instructors practicing in the medical profession for ACLS, TNCC, BLS, ENPC, NRP, PALS, PALS Plus, PEARS and Bloodborne Pathogen, HeartSaver CPR/AED, First Aid, and Instructor Courses. Please browse our catalog of courses.