Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation supports nationwide campaign & ongoing CPR mobile tour
Do you know the two simple steps of Hands- Only™ CPR? Then you’re ready to help save a life. In recognition of National CPR Awareness Week (June 3rd– June 8th), the American Heart Association and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation have teamed up to continue the national awareness campaign and ongoing mobile tour teaching Americans how to perform Hands-Only CPR to the beat of the Bee Gees’ hit “Stayin’ Alive.”
Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death with nearly 360,000 out-ofhospital cases occurring every year in the United States. When a teen or adult has a sudden cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby, especially since survival rates drop as much as 10% for every minute that goes by without intervention. The Bees Gees’ hit song “Stayin’ Alive” has more than 100 beats per minute, which is the rate you should push on the chest during Hands-Only CPR.
“The iconic song’s beat is an easy and fun way for people to remember the correct rhythm for CPR chest compressions, and make them feel more confident doing it,” said Katie Connolly, Director of CPR and ECC for the American Heart Association. “If you begin Hands- Only CPR to the beat of the Bee Gees’ ‘Stayin’ Alive’ immediately on a teen or adult who collapses from sudden cardiac arrest, you can double or triple their chances of survival.”
In fact, Hands-Only CPR has been shown to be equally as effective as conventional mouth-to-mouth CPR, and people are more likely to feel comfortable performing it. A December 2012 study published in the journal, Circulation found that chest compression- only CPR keeps more people alive with good brain function after having a sudden cardiac arrest.
With the support of the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, the American Heart Association launched a 3-year national campaign and mobile tour in June 2012 to raise awareness of Hands-Only CPR as a lifesaving method and way to increase the likelihood of people feeling confident enough to perform life-saving CPR in an emergency.
The interactive Hands- Only CPR mobile tour will visit at least 24 cities across the country through the Fall of 2014 to teach thousands of people the two simple steps to save a life.
The AHA’s Hands- Only CPR tour will make a stop in Milwaukee for an interactive training event on Wednesday, June 12th from 10am-3pm at Cathedral Square Park to teach residents this easy-to-learn CPR method.
Highlights of the event include FREE Hands-Only CPR Training and a FREE CPR Anytime kit for anyone who completes the training. The training lasts about 15 minutes. This is NOT a CPR certification course! People are asked to pre-register for this event by visiting heart.org/MilwaukeeCPR or calling 414-227-1403.
“Far too many people die each year from sudden cardiac arrest, and we are determined to help overcome this public health crisis by teaching Southeast Wisconsin residents the two simple steps of saving a life,” said Larry Schreiber, President of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin. “We’re proud to support the American Heart Association’s Hands-Only CPR campaign because we know this program will help improve survival rates among out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims and give bystanders the confidence they need to save a life.”
As part of the second year of the national Hands- Only CPR campaign, the American Heart Association debuted new TV and radio public service announcements, digital promotions and a one-minute Hands-Only CPR demo video to train Americans in the life-saving technique. Hands-Only CPR Demo Video
What happens when an overzealous sports fan’s buddy collapses from cardiac arrest? Watch this 1-minute video to learn the simple steps to help save a life with Hands-Only CPR. If you know the two steps to Hands-Only CPR, you’re ready to help save a life.
To learn more about the Hands-Only CPR campaign and get ready to save a life visit
heart.org/handsonlycpr , facebook. com/AHACPR or youtube.com/HandsOnly-CPR
