22
In 2023, supported by the CDC CARES Expansion and Modernization Grant, CARES set out to modernize. 
For more than two decades, CARES has served as the nation’s most comprehensive source of out-of-
hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) data. As participation has expanded, with more agencies, hospitals, 
and states contributing data than ever before, the volume and complexity of the data have grown 
substantially. 
This growth placed increasing demands on the legacy 
system’s capacity and performance, highlighting the 
need for a refreshed platform. As a result, development 
of the NextGen CARES platform began. 
While groundbreaking at the time of its launch, the 
original software was not designed for the scale CARES 
has reached today. Supporting thousands of users 
across diverse stakeholder groups became increasingly 
complex, and its agency-centric structure no longer fully 
reflected the collaborative nature of modern CARES 
participation. At the same time, evolving cybersecurity, 
regulatory compliance, and reliability expectations called 
for greater flexibility and resilience than the legacy 
architecture could readily provide.
Modernization is more than a technical upgrade; it is a 
strategic investment in the future of CARES. NextGen 
provides the scalability, stronger security, and improved 
adaptability needed to sustain and advance the CARES 
mission for decades to come.
MODERNIZING CARES 
As CARES continues to grow and evolve, so must the systems that support it. Modernization marks a 
pivotal step forward in ensuring the registry can continue to meet the needs of its expanding users while 
advancing its mission. At the center of this effort is a modernized software platform, strengthening the 
national infrastructure for cardiac arrest measurement and positioning CARES for the future.
Why CARES Modernized
NextGen CARES represents a complete platform transformation, modernizing both the underlying 
technology and the overall user experience. A modern, scalable, and flexible system architecture has 
replaced the limitations of the legacy infrastructure, creating a stable, high-performing foundation 
designed to support growth, sustain innovation, and meet the evolving needs of CARES and its users.
How CARES Modernized

View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.