b'20 YEARS OF CARESDATA AND INNOVATION DRIVING CARDIAC ARREST SURVIVALTURNING NATIONAL DATA INTO LOCAL, LIFE-SAVING ACTIONThis year marks the 20th anniversary of the CARES Quality Improvement Program, a milestone that highlights two decades of advancing OHCA care. Since its inception, CARES has provided a standardized, data-driven approach to measuring OHCA events, treatment, and survival, empowering emergency medical services, hospitals, researchers, and public health officials to identify opportunities and implement evidence-based interventions. Its comprehensive dataset has not only shaped research but also holds significant potential to inform policy and guide community-based initiatives aimed at improving emergency response strategies and fostering collaboration among healthcare providers, first responders, and bystanders. As CARES celebrates this anniversary, we reflect on the progress made in transforming OHCA care while also looking ahead to the next chapter - focused on further enhancing survival outcomes and shaping the future of emergency care on a national scale.QUALITY IMPROVEMENT: The CARES Expansion and Modernization Grant, made possible through the bipartisan CAROL Act, is driving significant advancements in cardiac arrest data collection and research, empowering communities to improve survival rates nationwide. The CARES PRIME Team (Program for Resuscitation Improvement, Modernization, and Expansion) is a multi-organization initiative that aims to increase cardiac arrest survival rates through data-driven insights, community training, and quality improvement. Supported by the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES), the American Heart Association (AHA), the American Red Cross (Red Cross), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CPR LifeLinks, and the Resuscitation Academy, the CARES PRIME Team focuses on building resilient communities where location does not determine survival outcomes. By targeting low survival areas with specialized interventions, we aim to strengthen each link in the Chain of Survival.CARES is working with quality improvement partners to enhance evidence-based practices and strengthen telecommunicator CPR (T-CPR) protocols. These efforts aim to improve CPR and resuscitation strategies, particularly in priority communities, by addressing specific challenges and cultural factors. Using a "measure and improve" approach, CARES will identify effective programs, provide ongoing feedback, and support implementation at the local, regional, and national level. Expanding the Resuscitation Academy network to engage "Lighthouse Communities" will help ensure that communities have the resources they need to develop and sustain resuscitation programs. There will be 75 Resuscitation Academy workshops planned nationally, and CARES quality improvement initiatives will provide a limited number of travel scholarships for agency participants to attend a Resuscitation Academy in their region. Through these efforts, CARES will improve CPR training, increase survival rates, and support public health initiatives.50'