A shocking statistic reported by the American Heart Association reveals that cardiac arrest claims the lives of 436,000 Americans each year. This highlights the importance of being prepared to respond to cardiac emergencies.
Recent research published in the Journal of the AHA has determined that socioeconomic vulnerability is a key predictor of cardiac arrest mortality. This underscores the need for accessible resources and training to equip communities with life-saving skills.
In an effort to address this disparity, St. Joseph’s Health and the American Heart Association are partnering to provide CPR Anytime training kits free of charge. These kits, which typically cost $45 each, will be distributed to marginalized communities to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to respond to cardiac emergencies.
According to Christine Vona, a registered nurse at St. Joseph’s Health, many communities face barriers to accessing CPR training, such as transportation issues and financial constraints. By providing free training kits and resources, these organizations hope to improve accessibility to life-saving skills.
Cardiac emergencies can happen anywhere, with nearly three-quarters of cardiac arrests occurring outside of hospitals. Knowing how to perform CPR can greatly increase the chances of survival for a victim of cardiac arrest. St. Joseph’s Health emphasizes the importance of immediate CPR intervention in saving lives.
To further support CPR and AED Awareness Week, hands-on CPR demonstrations will be offered alongside the distribution of training kits at St. Joseph’s Primary Care Center-West on Wednesday at 10 a.m. This initiative aims to increase preparedness and awareness within communities to help prevent avoidable deaths due to cardiac arrest.[/
