About two years ago, we wrapped up a test pilot of our first Hands-Only CPR kiosk and installed it at DFW Airport in Terminal C, Gate 7. Since then, about 17,000 people have used it to learn this potentially lifesaving technique.

One such individual was 21-year-old college student Matthew Lickenbrock, who spotted the kiosk last month during a three-hour layover at the airport. “I went over just to check it out and maybe learn something. I actually had never learned CPR,” said Lickenbrock, an engineering major at the University of Dayton in Ohio. Lickenbrock completed the program three times over the course of about 15 minutes, scoring a perfect 100 on the final attempt.

Two days later he was driving to an evening class when he saw a flash of lightning that appeared to hit the engineering building where he was headed. Pulling into the parking lot, he saw a young man face down on the ground. It was 23-year-old Sean Ferguson, a marketing major who had been struck by lightning as he walked home from an on-campus meeting, according to university officials. He wasn’t breathing or moving.

Adjunct professor Jamie Obermeyer helped Lickenbrock carefully roll Ferguson onto his back and asked him if he knew CPR. “From then it was kind of a blur — a lot of adrenaline,” said Lickenbrock. “[I was thinking] what did I do two days ago at the kiosk? 100 beats per minute, compress two inches down.”

After a few minutes, Lickenbrock was relieved by Steven Pope, a nurse anesthetist who had been at the nearby recreation center. Pope soon detected a pulse. Lickenbrock’s quick action saved Ferguson’s life.

After nearly five weeks, Ferguson was released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. He plans to return to school in the fall and graduate in December.

“No one ever thinks they’ll use CPR,” Lickenbrock said. “You learn it but hope you don’t need to use it.” Lickenbrock said the CPR kiosk gave him confidence to act during the emergency. “It gave me the little bit of training I needed to know how to actually perform CPR,” he said.

As far as we know, this is the first story of a lifesaving event that we can attribute directly to our kiosk. “It’s thrilling to know a life was saved and to see a testimonial of the efficacy of this type of training methodology. The initial premise of the kiosk was to test the effectiveness of brief and engaging ‘self-directed’ learning sessions with immediate feedback on one’s performance and to see if more people can be reached via public settings, such as an airport,” said Merrilee Sweet, member of the AHA Community Market team that developed the kiosk.

Through a grant from Anthem Foundation, seven additional training kiosks will be installed in public places by the end of 2015, ready to train thousands of additional people and potentially save more lives.

I’d like to personally thank Matthew for his curiosity to train on the kiosk and more importantly – for acting fast and utilizing the skills he learned to save a life. We also wish Sean and his family the best as he continues his recovery and completes his education.

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: https://onforb.es/1KY8bmA

Nurses don’t necessarily have the extra time, but they do have extra big hearts. That’s why we’re so thankful for the hard work and dedication of nurses working tirelessly to improve patient outcomes. CPR saves lives, and nurses have an instrumental role in the chain of survival by providing lifesaving CPR daily. We can’t say it enough – thank you to all nurses for everything you do.

So, for my blog post we wanted to talk to a few nurses to find out what makes them passionate about what they do and why they think people should learn CPR:

+ Jacqueline Barrowitz, RN, CPN in the Short Stay Unit in the Emergency Department at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth:

“I decided I wanted to be a nurse in 1970 when I watched an ER doctor put stitches in my arm. I am able to incorporate my skills with compassion and a healing touch to serve my pediatric patients and their parents in a fulfilling way.”

 “When I was a nursing student I was so excited to learn CPR and to know that I could possibly save a life. Over the years, the techniques have changed and improved – but the goal of saving lives is the same.  Perhaps someday, with the help of the American Heart Association, 100% of Americans will learn how to save a life.”

+ Yasmeen Khedery, RN, BSN in the Medical/Surgery Department at Texas Health Resources HEB

“Ever since I can remember, I loved to take care of, nurture, and teach people. Nursing is a profession that requires you to use your mind to promote health and safety, and your heart for healing and emotional support. It’s unlike any other job, you have so many roles with one title.”

 “CPR is a vital skill that can save someone’s life, it’s that simple! And the fact is that you never know when you may need it, but you will be so thankful in the case you ever have to use it. If you have the right education and the situation arises you will be more confident knowing you actually know what to do.”

+ Charissa Parker, RN, BSN in the Emergency Department at Baylor, Scott & White at Carrollton

“I became a nurse because it encompasses everything I love to do: learn, teach, and to care. It’s always challenging me which makes me love my job that much more. I am currently an emergency room registered nurse so CPR is quite important in my job. Everyone should learn CPR because it’s a key component to possibly giving someone another day to live. It’s known that early intervention of basic CPR by everyday civilians has saved numerous lives since they are the first to respond- not just us!”

Wow! What courageous nurses we have out there working hard every day to save you and your loved ones! We created this “Thank You” Vine (below) to recognize all of the wonderful nurses around the world. Do your part and say “Thank You” to a nurse this week and tell them how much you appreciate everything they do!

Yesterday, The Washington Post published an article to encourage and empower individuals to learn CPR and help save a life while humming “Stayin’ Alive.” We are extremely grateful for their coverage, and I encourage you to read it here: https://wapo.st/1FG65Dv

Did you know 326,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually in the US and 70% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes and residential settings, meaning the life you save is likely to be someone you love? Sadly, 90% of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests don’t survive. We want to change these statistics. If performed immediately, effective bystander CPR can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival.

Our Hands-Only CPR Campaign started as a way to teach individuals that anyone can learn how to save a life in just 60 seconds with two simple steps: call 911 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive.” AHA updated its guidelines in 2010 and started this campaign because immediate bystander response is a critical link in the chain of survival.

In 2010, we set aggressive 10-year strategic goals to guide CPR & First Aid impact by 2020 to:

• Double all out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival and dramatically increase in-hospital cardiac arrest survival for adult (double) and pediatric (50%) patients.
• Double CPR bystander response rate, from 31% to 62%.

By achieving these goals we will save an additional 50,000 lives each year in the United States. We’re already making some great headway toward our goals, as survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest has already increased about 35% and bystander response rate has already increased by more than 45% according to the latest data.

But we still have a lot of work to do. By training more individuals in CPR, we’re putting more potential lifesavers in our community and in your homes!

Through support of the Anthem Foundation, we are well on our way to training millions of people in Hands-Only CPR. Learn today at heart.org/handsonlycpr.

Note from John: For World Health Day, I’ve asked my colleague Kathryn Taubert, PhD, FAHA, to write a guest blog post. Kathryn is our Vice President of Global Strategies working closely with our CEO, CMO, myself and other American Heart Association (AHA) senior leaders to collaborate and establish partnerships with international organizations to broaden the AHA’s support of and impact on global health. Kathryn enjoyed a 25-year career at AHA that began in 1985 as a Staff Scientist / Science Consultant before being promoted to Vice President, Science and Medicine and then ultimately advancing to Sr. Scientist and Special Asst. to the Chief Science Officer before joining the World Heart Federation in 2010.

Did you know that globally, more than 200 diseases are caused by unsafe food? This leads to millions of people falling ill due to contaminated food or drinking water and up to 2 million of them die as a result. If you live in the USA or another developed country, you may not think about food safety very often; unfortunately, it is a huge global issue.

That’s why this year’s World Health Day theme is “Food Safety”, and calls on producers, policy makers and the public to promote this important issue. The global health awareness day is sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and has been celebrated annually since 1950 on April 7^th.

On World Health Day 2015, it is important to raise awareness of the issue of food safety. WHO asks us some pertinent questions, such as:

• What is in your meal?
• Where did the ingredients come from?
• Were they properly – and safely – handled from every stage, from farm to plate?

The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition wants to raise awareness that food safety is a worldwide issue and our food supply becomes more global every year.

Beyond this, we should ask ourselves if we really know what is in the food we purchase and consume. Even if food is free from contamination, is it “safe”?   Is it heart healthy?  Sometimes, that is a difficult question to answer.

People are consuming less fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains and in the US and other parts of the world, there is more and more processed food being manufactured. Many of these foods are high in bad fats (saturated fat and trans fat), sugar and salt (sodium chloride). These ingredients can lead to weight gain, an increased risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, especially if consumed frequently.

When shopping for groceries, here are some helpful tips in making healthy food choices:

• Choose lean meats and poultry without skin and prepare them without added saturated and trans fat.
• Eat fish at least twice a week. Research shows that eating oily fish containing omega-3 fatty acids (for example, salmon, trout and herring) may help lower your risk of death from coronary artery disease.
• Select fat-free, 1 percent fat and low-fat dairy products.
• Cut back on foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to help reduce trans fat in your diet.
• To lower cholesterol, reduce saturated fat to no more than 5 to 6 percent of total calories. For someone eating 2,000 calories a day, that’s about 13 grams of saturated fat.
• Cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars.
• Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt (sodium chloride). Reducing sodium intake can help lower blood pressure.
• If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. That means one drink per day if you’re a woman and two drinks per day if you’re a man.

To help you better understand commercially prepared food labels, the American Heart Association has some food labeling tips: https://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Understanding-Food-Nutrition-Labels_UCM_300132_Article.jsp

Bon appétit and happy World Health Day!

– Kathryn Taubert, PhD

Spring is the perfect time to be outdoors with family and friends enjoying picnics, playgrounds and swimming in pools, especially as the temperature increases. While being near the pool is a great way to cool off, it can also bring dangerous situations like drowning. Knowing CPR and first aid can better prepare you for any situations that occur.

For Eli Thomas’s family, that situation came last August during a family trip to a relative’s home with a pool. Their 2-year-old son, Rhys, fell in the pool as he was exploring the backyard. Eli quickly pulled his son out by his ankles and gave him CPR he had remembered from an American Heart Association CPR training, a month earlier. In a few seconds, Eli had to put together everything he had learned to save his son. Rhys fully recovered from his near-drowning experience and now the Thomas family believes everyone should learn CPR.

“It is so easy to take a CPR course. And it is so important to do, so that in a moment of panic, you can still function,” Eli Thomas said. 

Read more

Today I am honored to announce that our Hands-Only CPR Campaign has been honored with two Gold Awards by Bulldog Reporter! The Bulldog Awards celebrate corporate communications and public relations strategic and tactical prowess at the highest level.

The two winning categories are Best Use of Digital/Social for a Health/Fitness/Medicine Campaign and Best Use of the Internet/Digital Tools.

Winners were chosen from hundreds of entries representing the very best strategic and tactical prowess that PR corporate communications has to offer. Campaigns were judged exclusively by working journalists, who assessed them on the basis of their ability to achieve extraordinary visibility and influence opinion, as well as on creativity, command of media and technology and tenacity.

We’re thrilled with these category wins, as they underscore the Hands-Only CPR team’s success in driving online actions to help reach our mission goals through compelling content creation and curation. Specifically, the strategy being recognized is the use of our familiar music platform, “Stayin’ Alive”, to build new exclusive digital assets that appeal to a broader demographic. A primary element was the Hands-Only CPR Mash-Up (above), which drove buzz among consumers and media, and our digital distribution and social media strategies drove views of the 2014 demo training video, particularly on our Facebook and Twitter properties.

Congratulations to the Hands-Only CPR team!

Many of you know that February is American Heart Month and today is National Wear Red Day. President Obama even helped kick start the annual awareness campaign against the nation’s No. 1 killer with a federal declaration. “My Administration is committed to leading a new era of medicine — one that delivers the right treatment at the right time — and to ensuring Americans live longer, healthier, more productive lives,” Obama wrote.

But this isn’t just a domestic issue. We have health data collected from nearly 200 countries that show heart disease remains the No. 1 global cause of death with 17.3 million deaths each year*. That number is expected to rise to more than 23.6 million by 2030, the report found.

On a positive note, fewer Americans have been dying of heart disease and stroke since the 1980s, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths in the U.S. continued to drop from 2001 to 2011 by 30.8 percent. Much of the progress comes from better use of medical therapies in patients with a history of heart disease and stroke and from lifestyle changes that are curbing the risk. Learn more about the top CVD research advances here.

You may be wondering what these numbers mean to you, or how they affect you. They may not. But they likely affect someone you know now or will at some point in the future. For me, American Heart Month is personal. When I started at the American Heart Association (AHA) 25 years ago, nobody in my family had CVD. They didn’t even have the typical risk factors. Fast forward to today and the story is much different. My grandmother is a stroke survivor.  My father has metabolic syndrome. My mother has atrial fibrillation (AFib), and earlier this month I rushed my wife to the hospital with AFib.

Fortunately, my loved ones are alive and well. They’ve made great strides over the years to live healthier lives, and I like to think that our work at AHA has played a significant role along the way through awareness, education and funding of medical research.

Whether you do it for yourself or your loved ones, take 10 minutes during American Heart Month to visit mylifecheck.heart.org, a website where you can learn how to improve your health by following “Life’s Simple 7”.

*Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics — 2015 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association

Cardiovascular disease is a global issue, and currently accounts for more than 17 million deaths per year, a figure expected to reach approximately 25 million per year by 2030. At the American Heart Association (AHA), we believe everyone should live longer, healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

As part of this commitment, we have launched expanded, translated web content on international.heart.org in an effort to reach more people in more places with lifesaving information and training, delivered in eight languages: Arabic, English, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish.

Read more

It’s an exciting week for AHA as we announce our latest healthcare offering that blends the latest science and technology to better support for hospitals and healthcare providers in their efforts to save more lives. We developed the AHA Resuscitation Quality Improvement Program (AHA RQI Program) to help healthcare providers maintain skill competency and achieve better patient outcomes through regular, low-dose/high-frequency high-quality CPR training. Check out this video to learn more about this new training solution that I expect will be a game-changer in the resuscitation education space.

Our research has shown that psychomotor skills related to resuscitation can decay within just three to six months – far before the two-year standard when basic and advanced life support skills are currently evaluated. The 2013 AHA Consensus Statement, “Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Quality: Improving Cardiac Resuscitation Outcomes Both Inside and Outside the Hospital” states that poor-quality CPR leads to poor patient outcomes creating a “preventable harm” to the patient.

We created RQI to teach healthcare providers high-quality CPR in a more effective, concise and convenient way that drives them to practice and retain these skills with confidence. The subscription-based training program provides the same cognitive and skills modules as a traditional CPR training program, but delivers it quarterly rather than every two years to ensure resuscitation skills remain at the highest standard.

Early adopters include Texas Health Resources, UT Southwestern Dallas and University of Alabama at Birmingham. “We chose RQI because we believe the conversion to maintenance of competency will drive quality resuscitation and deliver better patient outcomes. Using RQI, our staff can achieve higher CPR proficiency in less time, for less cost, and with better skill retention,” said Michael Kurz, M.D. M.S., associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine and member of the AHA’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care committee Systems of Care subcommittee.

RQI is the next evolution of dynamic CPR training, bringing the latest learning technology and simulation stations directly to the provider. We are excited to expand our RQI program beyond the pilot phase, and more importantly, improve patient outcomes across the country.