The American Heart Association’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) Programs deliver a dynamic message of hope — the hope of saving lives.  New treatments have improved the possibility of survival from cardiovascular emergencies, cardiac arrest, and stroke. These new treatments offer the hope of improved quality of life for people who suffer these events. 

Increasing public awareness of the importance of early intervention and ensuring greater public access to defibrillation will save many lives.  ECC programs train more than 12 million people every year by educating healthcare providers, caregivers, and the general public on how to respond to these emergencies. 

ECC Mission
The ECC Programs Department is responsible for implementing program initiatives, and providing guidance and support to the ECC Training Network. The ECC Mission supports this responsibility.

The Mission of the American Heart Association's ECC Program is to reduce disability and death from acute circulatory and respiratory emergencies, including stroke, by improving the chain of survival in every community and in every health care system.

ECC Guiding Philosophy
• Improve the Chain of Survival in Every Community
• Increase Quality, Timeliness of Materials
• Identify, Expand Training
• Document Effectiveness
• Improve Efficiency