UW Recognized Nationally with HEARTSafe Campus Award

This spring, the University of Washington was one of only eight institutions nationwide to receive the 2025 HEARTSafe Campus Award, presented by the National Collegiate EMS Foundation. The award honors colleges and universities that have established robust cardiac emergency response systems, including CPR training, AED access, and rapid response protocols.

The recognition follows the launch of Emergency Medical Services at the University of Washington (UWEMS), a student-led agency that began responding to 9-1-1 calls on campus less than a year ago.

“Receiving this award is an incredible honor,” said Tristan Jafari, Co-Chief and Co-Founder of UWEMS. “It validates the hard work and dedication our entire undergraduate team has put into founding and growing this agency.”

Jafari co-founded UWEMS in the Summer of 2023 with Tanmay Bhanushali (Co-Chief) and Patrick Bi (Deputy Chief), launching operations on April 4, 2025, after nearly two years of planning, advocacy, and training. The team now provides care Thursday through Monday from noon to midnight and hopes to expand to full-time coverage.

In addition to emergency response, Director of Outreach Allison Pflanz has led UWEMS’s efforts to expand peer-led education across campus. Over the past year, the team has issued 300+ CPR certifications and 300+ naloxone administration certificates, with over half of their EMTs certified as CPR instructors through the American Red Cross.

“We’re committed to building on this foundation,” said Pflanz. “We want to ensure every member of the UW community has access to life-saving cardiac care, education, and resources.”

The award also recognizes the agency’s co-response model with the Seattle Fire Department and the vital connection it provides between bystander intervention and the advanced care available at Harborview Medical Center.

“None of this would have been possible without the support of Mr. Eric Timm, Dr. Michael Sayre, Dr. Susan Stern, and the entire UW Department of Emergency Medicine,” said Jafari. “UWEMS wouldn’t exist without them.”

UWEMS provided standby services for Admitted Students Day on Saturday, April 19. A team of EMTs was on campus to assist the approximately 8,000 prospective students and their families in attendance.

To learn more, visit www.uwems.org or follow along at @uw.ems on Instagram.