Welcome to the official documentation and resource repository for the Pennsylvania Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (PA CARES) program, managed by the Seven Mountains EMS Council under the Coordination of Gage Lyons-McCracken.

This repository provides essential resources, guides, and data dictionaries for EMS agencies and hospitals participating in the Pennsylvania CARES program, which is part of the national CDC-authorized CARES registry for public health surveillance and quality improvement.

⚠️ Important Notice This repository contains administrative, educational, and technical documentation only. It does NOT host, contain, or process any Protected Health Information (PHI), confidential patient data, or live registry data. All actual CARES registry data is housed in secure, HIPAA-compliant platforms separate from this site. For the full compliance statement, please see: COMPLIANCE.md

This repository is organized into the following key sections:

Get started with the PA CARES program. These guides are essential for new participants.

• For EMS Agencies - Setup and registration for EMS agencies.
• For Hospitals - Setup and registration for hospital facilities.
• Optional Modules - Information on additional data collection modules.

Step-by-step guides for using the CARES registry system.

• EMS User Manual - Complete guide for EMS agency users.
• Hospital User Manual - Complete guide for hospital facility users.

The official reference for all data elements collected in the registry.

• 2023 Data Dictionary - Definitions, formats, and requirements for all CARES data fields. Note: Confirm with the PA CARES Coordinator if a more recent version is available.

Coming Soon! This section will host quick-reference guides, cheat sheets, and flowcharts for common tasks.

1. Repository Structure:
mypacares-infrastructure/
├── core-stack/                # WordPress + Portainer + Caddy
│   ├── docker-compose.yml
│   ├── .env.example
│   └── configs/
├── tools-stack/               # Planka + future tools
│   ├── docker-compose.yml
│   ├── .env.example
│   └── configs/
├── scripts/                   # Automation scripts
│   ├── deploy.sh
│   ├── backup.sh
│   └── restore.sh
├── docs/                      # Documentation
│   ├── setup.md
│   └── procedures.md
└── README.md

• COMPLIANCE.md: The full compliance statement detailing legal adherence (HIPAA, PA Act 37), data security, authorized use, and ethical standards for the PA CARES program.
• National CARES Website: For broader program information, visit the official national CARES site at mycares.net.

• For PA-Specific Support: Please contact the Pennsylvania CARES Coordinator through the Seven Mountains EMS Council.
• For Technical Issues with this Repository: Use this repository's GitHub Issues tab to report problems or suggest improvements to the documentation.
• For National Program Inquiries: Visit mycares.net for general information.

This repository is maintained by the Seven Mountains EMS Council on behalf of the Pennsylvania CARES Program. in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of EMS. Content is subject to updates to reflect changes in protocol, law, and system functionality.

© 2026 Seven Mountains EMS Council (on behalf of the Pennsylvania CARES Program). This documentation is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.