Saving Lives is the Heart of our Mission

Our mission at the American Heart Association is to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, and one way we do that is to raise awareness about the importance of learning CPR. Our stand is that everyone should learn CPR and be prepared to save a life in the face of a cardiac event.

We work diligently to train the next generation of lifesavers, and that means reaching our audiences where they live, work, play and pray. While the use of CPR dates back to 1740 when the Paris Academy of Sciences officially recommended mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for drowning victims, we’ve continually evolved to be more innovative with our coursework, teaching methods and public outreach.

For example, we’ve been leading the effort to encourage bystanders to administer Hands-Only CPR if they witness a cardiac arrest. Our research tells us that chest compressions alone for an adult or teenager victim is better than no action taken – in fact, you can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival by performing Hands-Only CPR. In order to create a world of lifesavers, we’ve led the charge to require CPR training in schools around the country. We’ve been evolving from printed materials to electronic formats so that our science is quickly and accurately disseminated. Our brand-new RQI program (see video below) is improving patient outcomes with quarterly, quality CPR training for healthcare professionals. We’ve expanded our global outreach to help culturally-diverse audiences with our proven resuscitation research.

It’s a very exciting time for the American Heart Association, and I’m proud to say we are only just getting started.

We are extremely grateful for this recent coverage by Forbes magazine that talks about our organization’s transformation as a business to further our mission of saving lives. I encourage you to read it here and share amongst your family and friends: http://onforb.es/1KY8bmA