Each year, about 350,000 people in the U.S. experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and tragically, 90% do not survive. Despite decades of effort, survival rates remain low—largely because communities lack the data needed to measure and improve their emergency response systems.
South Dakota has joined the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES)—a national registry developed to improve survival outcomes through consistent, evidence-based data collection.
How CARES works:
With support from the Helmsley Charitable Trust, the South Dakota Department of Health (DOH) is implementing a statewide upload model, which allows emergency medical services data to be extracted directly from our state’s data repository and submitted into the CARES system. This enables us to track where cardiac arrests occur, how quickly help is given, and patient outcomes—so we can strengthen the entire chain of survival from 911 to hospital care.
How hospitals can help:
We’re calling on all receiving hospitals to participate by designating a point of contact to complete patient outcome data. This step is critical for identifying what’s working—and where improvements are needed. Participation is confidential, HIPAA-compliant, and supported by a dedicated state coordinator, Jamie Burke (Jamie.burke@redcross.org), who is available to help with onboarding, questions, and technical assistance.
Why this matters for hospitals:
Hospital participation helps ensure your facility is part of a statewide improvement effort that can lead to better outcomes for your patients and your community. With access to real-time data and reporting tools, hospitals can track survival rates, identify trends, and collaborate more effectively with emergency medical professionals. The five-question follow-up form is brief and manageable, and the resulting insights can inform quality improvement, staff training, and local performance benchmarks. Hospitals also retain access to their own data and reports at all times to use however they see fit.
Resources to reference:
- Request EMS Quick Reference Guides: vendors.mycares.net/cares-qrgs
- Learn more about CARES: mycares.net
- Frequently Asked Questions: vendors.mycares.net/faq
