year, a new report declares that one state is ahead of the rest of the country when it comes to saving lives. >> and that state, my college home state of north carolina, which has a pioneering idea that may reach your neighborhood as well. abc's dr. richard besser has the report. >> reporter: heart doctors have named the enemy. it's time. 90 minutes. for some heart attacks if you can get to surgery within 90 minutes, you've cut your chance of dying in half. but thousands don't make it in time. now one state is showing the nation how it can be changed. >> when you have every single ambulance and every single hospital having a similar plan in place, then things change. >> reporter: duke university medical center organized 119 hospitals in north carolina. their report outlines how it ought to go. the patient calls 911. doesn't drive to the hospital in their own car. that's because the ambulance can hook up an on-board ekg reader to send heart rhythms to the hospital before they even get there. only 40% sent them before.