Four of Acadian Ambulance’s operations districts have received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS achievement award for their commitment to offering rapid and research-based care to people experiencing the most severe form of heart attacks and strokes, ultimately saving lives. The awards are given based on clinical outcomes achieved in 2025.
Receiving the Mission: Lifeline EMS Silver Award are:
- Acadian Northeast LA, spanning Ouachita Parish
- Acadian Southwest LA, spanning Calcasieu, Jeff Davis, and Acadia Parishes
Receiving the Mission: Lifeline EMS Bronze Award are:
- Acadian Hub City District, spanning Lafayette, Vermilion, St. Landry, St. Martin, and Iberia Parishes
- Acadian Northshore District, spanning St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and St. Helena Parishes
Acadian’s National EMS Academy has campuses in Monroe, Lake Charles, Lafayette, and Covington (among others), helping to ensure these areas have a strong taskforce focused on clinical excellence.
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 prehospital providers and health care systems.
Emergency medical services staff can begin treatment when they arrive — up to an hour sooner than if someone goes to the hospital by car. EMS staff are also trained to provide resuscitation efforts to someone whose heart has stopped. People who arrive by ambulance may also receive faster treatment at the hospital.
“Arguably the most important link in the chains of survival for acute stroke and cardiovascular emergencies is emergency medical services and prehospital professionals,” said Kacey Kronenfeld, M.D., FAEMS, chair of the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline EMS Taskforce. “Early condition identification, stabilization and prehospital interventions, and initiation of actions within the regional systems of care provide patients with the best chance for receiving expedient definitive therapies leading to optimal outcomes and maximized quality of life.
“The American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline EMS awards are an important way to recognize the crucial roles and performances of EMS personnel in stroke and cardiac patients’ care.”
The Mission: Lifeline EMS achievement award focuses on agencies’ on-scene care, bringing to the forefront the collaboration and contributions to patient care for prehospital providers.
“Acadian Ambulance is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to providing optimal care for heart attack patients,” said Dr. Chuck Burnell, Acadian’s Chief Medical Officer. “The Mission: Lifeline program puts proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis so patients have the best possible chance of survival.”
About Acadian Ambulance
Acadian Ambulance is the nation’s largest 100% employee-owned ambulance service providing prehospital care and medical transportation to areas in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. In recognition of Acadian’s clinical excellence, it is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services and a member of the American Ambulance Association. Its sister division, Acadian Air Med, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems.
Acadian Ambulance is a division of Acadian Companies, which has a global reach and a mission of improving the lives of its patients, customers and employees through its innovative spirit and diverse divisions, also including Acadian Air Med, Executive Aircraft Charter Service, Acadian Total Security, National EMS Academy, Safety Management Systems and Acadian Health.
Acadian’s National EMS Academy offers EMT training at its campuses across Louisiana, Texas, and Tennessee. For more information on upcoming classes, visit www.BecomeAMedic.com.
About Mission: Lifeline
Mission: Lifeline EMS® recognition is the American Heart Association’s program that recognizes prehospital 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.
For more information, visit heart.org.
