Hit rewind and watch the highlights of the 2017 Anthem Foundation and American Heart Association Hands-Only CPR campaign.

David Heidrich had never heard of Hands-Only CPR until August when the American Heart Association’s 2017 Hands-Only CPR Mobile Tour stopped in Augusta, Maine to teach the lifesaving skill.

Hands-Only CPR has two steps, performed in this order: when you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, call 911. Then, push hard and fast in the center of the chest until help arrives.

Heidrich was trained in Hands-Only CPR and, as a future lifesaver,  understands how critical it can be for bystanders to respond if they witness a cardiac arrest outside the hospital.

“The chest compressions you apply while administering Hands-Only CPR can be vital to buying the time necessary to allow emergency medical personnel to arrive at your location,” said Heidrich, who is the director of communications for the State of Maine’s Department of Administrative and Financial Service.

More than 3,700 people were ultimately trained in Hands-Only CPR during the six-week long 2017 tour, making it one of the highlights of the 2017 American Heart Association Hands-Only CPR campaign. The campaign is nationally supported by a five-year, educational grant from Anthem Foundation.

The campaign aims to increase the survival of cardiac arrest victims outside the hospital by making the public aware of Hands-Only CPR, training people in Hands-Only CPR and AED use, and giving people the confidence to take action. The interactive Mobile Tour is one way that the American Heart Association and Anthem Foundation meet people where they’re at with critical instruction and education.

Heidrich relished the opportunity to use an AED, or automated external defibrillator, training device for the first time at the tour stop.

“It seems like they (AEDs) are everywhere now – from malls and airports to workplaces and schools – and having the opportunity to use one in a non-emergency situation made me feel better about using an AED when it really counts,” he said.

In addition to the tour, the American Heart Association and Anthem Foundation continued to provide Hands-Only CPR training to the public in innovative ways. The organizations placed more Hands-Only CPR training kiosks at various U.S. airports.

The two organizations also teamed up with actress and comedian Wendi McLendon-Covey to create a humorous Hands-Only CPR training PSA called “The Mix Up” that was shown on cable TV networks and elevator screens in lobbies of buildings in various U.S. cities. You could even watch this memorable PSA and learn Hands-Only CPR while in the air on Southwest Airlines, which displayed the piece on its in-flight WiFi portal for nearly two months in November and December.

The Association and Anthem Foundation are ready to reach many more Americans with this lifesaving skill in 2018.

Readers of the AHA CPR & First Aid Blog are no strangers to teaching CPR. However, few focus almost exclusively on the next generation of lifesavers like Evelyn Massey, MD, does.

Dr. Massey serves as director of life support education at Loma Linda University in California, where she administers a program that aims to train 50,000 high school, college and community students in CPR by 2020. Currently, she has trained 7,000+ students and counting.

“We start with the basics of ‘what is a heart attack, and how is it different than cardiac arrest? and then teach the skills required to handle a cardiac arrest situation in real life,” explains Dr. Massey. “This starts with promoting awareness in elementary school and beyond. We begin simple with Hands-Only CPR (HOCPR) with middle school, and then work with the teenagers in high school on more advanced programs.”

The motivations for Dr. Massey’s work are personal. Her father passed away from cardiovascular complications when he was only 58 – far too young and too soon. Her work is fueled by the desire to train others so that no one else loses a loved one that could have been saved.

“Today I work in administration, but by doing so I’m able to save lives. Schools are an incredibly important – and in some communities, underserved – target,” continues Dr. Massey. “For instance, one of our high school trainees came home one day to find her father face down on the floor, suffering cardiac arrest. She called 9-1-1 and started chest compressions. She continued for 20 minutes without pausing, and today her father is alive and well.

“This girl is a hero, all because she had been given the emergency training she needed while at school.”

The minutes before even EMS arrives matter the most. Most often, if a patient is brought to the hospital without having received compressions, it will be too late.

So why teach children?

“Because they’re everywhere!” exclaims Dr. Massey. “Someone at school, the mall, church or anywhere can collapse. Youth are often the only ones present – especially among peer groups – and they need to be able to act until EMS arrives.”

Not unexpected, her work has inspired a spike in interest in medicine as a career by providing students a practical introduction. Moreover, Dr. Massey is grateful to the state of California for some help in this regard—and to the AHA for their efforts to expand CPR in Schools education legislation across the United States.

“California requires high school students pursuing medicine to be trained in CPR and for schools teaching health education to offer CPR training,” says Dr. Massey. “It is a good law, but we should expand it. I would like to see kids choosing medical fields to receive more advanced medical and first aid training, and for all students to have the basics in Hands-Only CPR.

“It is a life-saving skill for everyone to know.”

The remote town of Waterville Valley, New Hampshire seems like a movie setting. It’s a picturesque New England village, home to world class ski slopes and a local high school dedicated to training the next generation of Olympic skiers.

And just like in the movies, the setting wouldn’t be complete without someone behind-the-scenes, working hard to ensure that this dream doesn’t become a nightmare. That someone is Jeff Dropkin, paramedic and captain of the local fire department, who also teaches the American Heart Association’s ACLS, PALS and PEARS courses at nearby Speare Memorial Hospital in Plymouth, NH.

The same snowy slopes that give Waterville Valley its charm also pose hidden dangers. From cardiac arrest to head trauma, it’s Jeff’s job to ensure that everyone in the community – from the ski patrol to the teachers to the bystanders – have the skills they need to recognize and react at a moment’s notice.

“We’ve seen several instances where the athletic exertion and the deep snow cause sudden cardiac deaths,” shares Dropkin. “Moreover, they’ve added more dangerous features to ski resorts now, and we’re seeing a lot more injuries than we used to. Often, you have to make the correct treatment decision within seconds.”

In recent years, the State of New Hampshire has pushed hard to raise its standards of cardiac medicine, including changing statewide protocols to make high-quality CPR, with a focus on teamwork, the standard for EMS responders.

“Bystanders start by calling 9-1-1, then immediately begin either CPR with rescue breaths or Hands-Only CPR. You never break for more than 3 seconds. You deploy the AED as soon as you can. You also do chest compressions in between the AED shocks when the machine recharges. EMS responders don’t stop CPR for anything, not even when we put in the IV. No breaks. This is how people get saved – immediat e, constant CPR and immediate defibrillation in a shockable rhythm.”

One life that Jeff remembers saving is a cardiac arrest victim that you would least expect: a 14-year-old boy at snowboard practice. However, tragedy was averted thanks to what the AHA calls the “Chain of Survival.”

Young Will Bayha’s team coaches had received a CPR refresh training by Dropkin only six months before, and knew the signs when the boy went into cardiac arrest. One coach started CPR immediately while the other ran for the AED and called 9-1-1. They had the AED deployed in 90 seconds. Dropkin and his EMS team arrived a minute later.

In the ambulance, Dropkin evaluated and then supported the boy with O2, capnography, cardiac monitoring and serial EKGs. They continued support with respirations and fluid resuscitation as Dartmouth Hitchcock Air Rescue arrived to airlift the young man to a hospital where he was fitted with a pacemaker. Today, he’s fine. And even though he’ll never snowboard competitively again, he still hits the slopes for fun.

A happy ending, thanks to an unfailing commitment to high-quality CPR for both bystanders and professionals alike.

Janice Morgan is the coordinator of the Louisville Metro EMS Training Center, which spreads across 80+ sites with more than 1,500 Instructors. She is an AHA Hands-Only CPR Instructor, a passionate advocate of improving CPR training for both medical professionals and the public at-large, and seeks to make Kentucky a national leader in adoption of RQI for first responders. 

Ms. Morgan, thank you for talking with us. Would you give us your background?

I began my career as a paramedic with Jefferson County (KY) EMS, now Louisville Metro EMS. I accepted the position of Louisville Metro EMS Training Center Coordinator in 2012.

In your current role, is there an initiative you’re particularly proud of?

Through a partnership with the Kentucky Refugee Ministries, Catholic Charities USA and Americana World Community Centers, we’ve undertaken an intense effort to train refugees relocated into Kentucky in Hands-Only CPR (HOCPR). We are also working with a grant project funded through Jewish Foundation of Louisville to distribute CPR kits and train people in underserved areas, including but not limited to refugees.

Through the HOCPR program, we train these communities in how to save a life. It can be difficult for those who don’t speak English well to communicate with 911 operators, so it’s important to us – from an EMS standpoint – for them to know and perform the necessary steps that will help a potential cardiac arrest victim. Nepali, Kurdish, Farsi, Congolese…those are just a few of the 28 native tongues we have worked with.

In addition to community-based CPR training, you’re a big advocate of American Heart Association’s Resuscitation Quality Improvement (RQI). Tell me more.

We really want RQI in Louisville. Our training center has joined forces with the Louisville Police and Fire Departments to consider implementing the program and possibly share the investment cost.

RQI is in about 200+ U.S. hospitals, but only two out-of-hospital systems currently employ it. I’d like to make Louisville a national leader in RQI pre-hospital training; it could make a difference in saving lives.

For our readers who may be unfamiliar, would you describe RQI for us?

AHA’s RQI program centers around CPR training performed on an automated manikin that records and tracks your progress. You complete a few minutes of compressions on the manikin quarterly as opposed to undertaking a bi-annual certification. The benefits are that you refresh your skills frequently, get instant feedback from the computer, and receive regular extensions on your certification as opposed to having these long gaps between trainings. Even better, the manikins would be conveniently located throughout Louisville for quick and easy use by our contributing departments.

The program in particular helps medical practitioners who may not use CPR on a regular basis, such as a psychiatric nurse or dentist, but who still need or want the training.  It keeps their skills sharp and the knowledge forefront.

And what of the system’s impact on Instructors like you?

I’m a huge fan of the system, obviously. It keeps skills fresh and removes human subjectivity by standardizing the procedure. That said, it doesn’t eliminate the need for professional Instructors. Someone still needs to conduct the initial training. Someone needs to oversee the computers. And someone needs to be available should the manikin break or computers experience a glitch.

In short, RQI is one more tool in our arsenal to promote quality, consistent CPR training.

In advance of World Heart Day (September 29), we welcome a guest piece from Hannah Jamsay, CEO and Executive Director of Uplift Internationale (UI) and an AHA Instructor. UI is a Denver, CO based non-profit specializing in bringing life-changing facial reconstructive surgeries to impoverished children in the Philippines.

Living in America warps your perception.

I don’t mean that in a bad way, more that we’re so blessed with abundance that many of the things we take for granted as common practice are – in other parts of the world – life changing revelations.

Over the last nine years, I’ve had the pleasure of volunteering for Uplift Internationale, and for which I have served as executive director since May of 2016. UI’s mission is to provide poor children in rural villages of the Philippines with life-changing surgeries such as cleft palate repair. A nurse by training, I’ve also served as a BLS Instructor and have led Hands-Only CPR awareness events and classes on behalf of the AHA for almost eight years. On UI’s most recent trip, I decided it would be cool to introduce CPR training alongside our surgical work. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the results blew me away.

Medical care, particularly in these rural communities, isn’t like here. Healthcare workers will wash and reuse several one-time-use, disposable pieces of medical equipment. Hospital patients are grouped into large rooms together, and it is incumbent on a patient’s loved ones to handle all of their personal care (bathroom, feeding, etc.) Upon arrival of my first mission, I found myself scrambling to find cots so that our post-operation children wouldn’t be spending their recovery on a dirty concrete floor.

Here, even some trained healthcare workers have never learned CPR.

When we arrived in the Philippines this past year, the locals were wary of us – as they usually are. If you’ve ever had the opportunity to work with Filipinos before, you know that this is a reserved (but extraordinarily appreciative) culture.

Who are these people and why are they wanting us to beat our hands on someone’s chest?!

However, it wasn’t long before I had sat down with enough families and health workers one-on-one to earn their trust. It’s amazing the goodwill a few toys and teddy bears can buy you. And that’s when we saw the amazing happen.

There is such a craving for good healthcare knowledge in these parts of the world that all it took was a spark, and suddenly we had the entire communal area full of willing participants in a Family & Friends®

CPR training.

Almost two dozen got on the floor and learned how to give chest compressions on the manikins, which had been donated by Colorado Advanced Life Support and Children’s Hospital Colorado. Many more eagerly observed. What was originally planned to be a short demonstration turned into an hours-long event where we reviewed different CPR techniques, chest compressions for infants, and first aid for universal emergencies such as choking.

At the end, when we donated the manikins to the village so that they could continue to practice and teach others what they had learned, leaders within this typically shy and timid culture couldn’t hold it in – they wept in joy and in gratitude.

It was such a small thing for us. But for them, it was the ability to save a life.

Editor’s note: Based on the success of this first experience, Uplift Internationale is now committed to teaching CPR as part of its work alongside performing facial surgeries for indigent children. Its next mission trip is scheduled for February 2018.

This month, the CPR & First Aid Blog catches up with Jon Gorman, RN, member of the New England ECC Regional Committee board and 25-year healthcare veteran. 

Jon, thank you so much for speaking with us today. Would you give us a brief summary of your background?

Sure… I am an RN with a history of working in open heart, telemetry, and ICU settings. I work with Harrington Healthcare System in Central Massachusetts.

How did you come to work with the New England ECC Regional Committee?

When I was in school, I experienced a pretty traumatic incident: my father suffered massive cardiac arrest and came in to the emergency room as a patient while I was working my shift. My poor mother had found him at home in the chair and called 911, but sadly he was gone before he arrived at the hospital. The ordeal gave me a real motivation to not want this to happen to anyone else.

That’s when I signed on to be a Hands-Only CPR volunteer trainer with ECC. I wanted to help save lives both inside and outside of the hospital.

Talk to me about Hands-Only CPR. How is it different than other CPR methods? Is it something anyone can do?

Hands-Only CPR is the kind of CPR, focusing on chest compressions, that we see in the movies and on TV. It is what most of us know to do until EMS arrives, and it dramatically increases the chances of someone will survive. However, training in conventional CPR is important so that people are confident and get it right when it matters.

Tell us about your “Big E Fair” event. I hear that it was an extraordinary day. 

It really was. We hosted a tent at the Massachusetts Day celebration, and as people came by we introduced them to Hands-Only CPR. We tried to make it something quick and easy that people shouldn’t be afraid of. We had manikins for people to practice on, and wound up training more than 750 people that day. It was a long day!

What was so incredible though was what happened after. We got a call informing us that three different people at the event had gone into cardiac arrest on-site. When the EMS arrived at each of those three scenes, members of the public were there with the victims doing chest compressions. Incredibly, people who had been by our tent and learned chest compressions were able to put their skills to use to save a life that very same day. It gives me goosebumps.

That’s incredible! It really drives home the importance of not only learning these skills, but probably refreshing them from time to time.

Absolutely. If you can take a class, that’s great. You should. But even the free demonstrations at your local health fair can be enough to save a life.

Great tip. Thank you so much Jon for sharing your time and insights with the CPR & First Aid Blog.

This blog was written by Gregory Schreppel, a survivor of cardiac arrest thanks to immediate bystander CPR. 

A Home Depot store in Olathe, Kansas was the scene where I crossed paths with kind strangers, Hands-Only CPR and emergency personnel in December 2015. I was in the market for underground electrical conduit for the home my family was building and stopped by our local store on a Saturday morning. While consulting with a store employee, the employee noticed I didn’t look well and urged me to take a seat. Shortly thereafter, a woman who happened to be an off-duty nurse passed down the aisle and noticed some unusual activity. Thinking I was having a seizure, she helped me to the floor. She soon determined I was indeed in cardiac arrest and began chest compressions while the Home Depot store manager called 9-1-1.

When the Olathe Fire Department and MED-ACT personnel arrived, they assumed responsibility for my care and found me in ventricular fibrillation; immediately, they used an AED to deliver a shock. Over the span of 19 minutes, a total of six shocks were delivered. At the same time, an Olathe police officer was able to reach my wife Heather to inform her of the situation, and to which hospital they would be transporting me.

As the ambulance approached the nearby hospital, I lost my pulse again and emergency personnel resumed chest compressions. I survived the cardiac arrest, and the next day, underwent surgery for an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). I continue to have what Heather describes as “episodes,” which require shocks from the ICD. It causes a few anxious moments for me, but I’ve gotten to the point where I can anticipate a shock delivery.

I’m doing well today. This experience heightened my awareness of the critical role bystander Hands-Only CPR plays in saving lives. The two steps of this lifesaving skill, call 9-1-1 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest, were performed without hesitation by the off-duty nurse and Home Depot store manager. If they hadn’t intervened, emergency personnel would have arrived at a drastically different scene. I’m grateful to the men and women who came to my aid that Saturday morning and that my life was in their experienced and capable hands.

I recommend that everyone learn more about Hands-Only CPR and find an AHA training course on CPR and AEDs. Cardiac arrest can happen any place, any time, so take steps to ensure you’re prepared to potentially help save a life.

 

 

The following story originally ran on AHA News June 1.

When Manny Medina was 16, he didn’t know or care much about emergency cardiovascular care as he walked into a CPR class at his high school in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

“But then I pulled out the (defibrillator) pads and all of a sudden I felt like I was on TV on an episode of ER … I felt empowered to go into the medical field and help people,” said Medina, who’s now 31. “It turns out that one class changed the path of my entire life.”

Now a CPR instructor and teacher-trainer based in San Diego, Medina volunteers for American Heart Association, both as a teacher and a community spokesperson. “CPR training has always been very close to my heart,’’ he said. “I really want to help people, especially young people, make a difference.”

From June 1 – 7, the AHA celebrates National CPR and AED Awareness Week, an annual event designed to promote CPR and AED (automated external defibrillator) education and save lives. More than 350,000 people have cardiac arrests out-of-hospital every year in the U.S., but only 46 percent of them get the immediate help they need before professional help arrives. CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival, especially if it’s performed in the first few minutes of cardiac arrest.

Medina’s CPR class in high school inspired him to become a certified paramedic. But after a few years on the job, he developed a stress-induced seizure disorder, and his neurologist told him he should find a less-stressful occupation.

The news left him feeling “defeated” at first, Medina says. But as he transitioned from being a paramedic into a CPR instructor, he got excited about teaching people of all ages and backgrounds how to save someone’s life.

“Manny is extremely dedicated, and his positive energy is contagious,” said Alexander Gonzalez, a paramedic who mentored Medina. “He has a passion for learning as much as he can … he delivers the most exceptional education no matter what course he’s presenting.”

Today, Medina takes particular pride in teaching CPR in high-risk Latino neighborhoods.

“That statistic shook me to the core,” he said. “I grew up in a Spanish-speaking household, and in that community, sometimes people don’t have the skills or the experience (to perform CPR), or they have language barriers that make it hard to call for help.”

Medina said he’s equally passionate about teaching CPR to young people. He’s in the process of setting up his own CPR training center geared toward youth, and he’s thrilled to see more U.S. states requiring CPR courses for high school students. Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia now require CPR training to graduate high school.

“It’s exciting to see this whole new generation of people taking CPR classes. The millennials are embracing it — they really want to learn,” said Medina, who encourages his CPR students to download PulsePoint, a phone app that helps bystanders assist people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.

“I try to teach them new ways of absorbing information,” he said. “I really want to empower kids at a young age and inspire them the same way that first CPR class inspired me. I want them to learn the skills so they can go out and have an impact on their community and make a difference – even if it’s only one time in their life.”

What does EMS week mean to you?

This week is an opportunity to recognize and acknowledge the efforts of EMS providers in our communities. It also allows these professionals to educate the public about the crucial functions we perform.

Would you please explain the importance of this year’s theme, “EMS Strong: Always in Service?”

Strength comes in multiple forms: physical, mental, emotional. It is also resilience in the face of adversity, all attributes of EMS providers. Whether EMS providers are career or volunteer, they are on duty 24/7 to respond to every call. They serve and protect often with the chance of facing danger – inclement weather, a chemical or electrical hazard, a physical assault or even the possibility of death.

How did you become involved in EMS and what lessons have you drawn from it?

I initially became involved when I purchased my first home. Although there were three fire stations in our town, there was only one firefighter. First, I became a volunteer firefighter and an EMT. That was 25 years ago. I then went on to paramedic school and became a professional firefighter/paramedic.

As a result of this career, I have become a better person in many aspects. It has taught me that first impressions aren’t always correct, and we all make mistakes and deserve a second chance. I’m a better listener, try to be non-judgmental, and put others before myself at times.

What drives your passion for EMS? 

At the top of my list is helping others during their time of need and just letting them know that someone cares.

My passion also comes from helping the people I serve and those with whom I’ve had the honor to work with. I’ve had great mentors in my life: my parents, family, coworkers and peers from the AHA, ILCOR and NAEMSP.

My personal desire to give back to the community, the opportunity to witness the evolution from consensus medicine to evidence-based medicine, and involving myself in that research also drive my passion.

What role does EMS play in successful outcomes for patient resuscitation? 

EMS providers are involved in all levels of a resuscitation, from teaching a CPR or First Aid class to providing advanced life support to a patient. Additionally, EMS is found throughout the AHA’s chain of survival for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

What don’t people realize about the EMS profession?

Most people don’t know what we actually do. It’s not what is portrayed on television or in the movies. EMS providers choose this career, and they and their families make great sacrifices. They leave to answer the call in the middle of dinner or a child’s birthday party, holidays away from home; work irregular schedules; suffer sleep deprivation and increased cancer risk for firefighters. And those are just a few.

And this is important. Yes, we’re trained. However, many people don’t realize that with minimal time and training on their part, such as taking a CPR or First Aid course, they can save a life.

 

What does Nurses Week mean to you?

This week reminds us of the importance of nurses and their roles in maximizing the health of individuals, families, and communities. Specifically, for nurses, it provides a time to reflect on why we do what we do and how we can execute our jobs in more impactful ways.

During this week, I always engage in personal reflection and plan how I can improve my practice and strengthen my commitment to the profession in the coming year.

Would you please touch on the importance of this year’s theme, “Nursing: The Balance of Mind, Body, and Spirit”?

Balance is critical, especially when we apply this notion to nurses. We can’t give to others what we haven’t taken the time to develop within ourselves. If we intentionally seek balance, we are more likely to stay and grow in the profession.

For me, achieving balance means assuring I reflect on my actions and goals, as well as spending time with my family. They are my source of strength and commitment to improving health and wellness not only for myself, but for society in general.  

How has your nursing education lead you to where you are now in your professional career?

I entered the profession with an associate’s degree in nursing. As I sought more knowledge and the opportunity to enhance my skills, I went on to obtain a BSN, an MSN in Nursing Administration and a PhD in Public Administration. Along the way, I intentionally considered my professional goals and sought degrees that would provide me with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to achieve these goals.

Acquiring credentials is not the goal— I seek to be able to practice nursing tomorrow in a manner different than we do today. Over the next decade, there will be increasing demand for nurses, and we must be willing to question the status quo when educating individuals entering the profession while assuring the caliber of competency and continuation of lifelong learning.  

What is your greatest takeaway from involvement in the nursing world?

I think the most important takeaway is that life is precious—every day is a gift. We need to live life to the fullest and say “thank you” and “I love you” to people in our lives.

What are steps non-profit organizations can take to improve access to and quality of care?

I think organizations such as AHA can focus on leading the policy discussions towards managing outcomes by using big data and creating patient value. To improve care will cost money— by using available data, we can find the most efficient way to do so. It is important that we do not simply advocate to do the right things, but rather articulate and help steer other organizations in the right direction.

I have been a volunteer with AHA for more than 30 years. Before inter-professional collaboration was in vogue, AHA embraced it as a core value. Bringing together nurses, physicians, paramedics, pharmacists, and other professionals is just the way the organization operates.