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May 14, 2012
Hospital News
NEW BERN, NC
– CarolinaEast Health System and The American Heart Association are once
again partnering to offer the latest in life-saving community education. CPR
Anytime for Family and Friends is a concise, 30-minute, hands-on training
tool designed to teach participants how to perform life-saving cardiopulmonary
resuscitation. This special CPR Blitz training program will be held in three
locations around Coastal North Carolina on Saturday, June 2, 2012. In Craven
County, the event will be in the Education building at CarolinaEast Medical
Center. The program will also be taught at Pamlico Community College and at
Pollocksville Presbyterian Church in Jones County. There will be two training
sessions at each site – one beginning at 9:00 a.m. and one at 10:00 a.m.
“Any CPR is better than no CPR in
the case of a cardiac emergency,” explained Megan McGarvey, CarolinaEast Health
System Spokesperson. “According to the American Heart Association, 80% of all
cardiac arrests occur in the home. Sadly, because most victims do not receive
some form of CPR immediately, very few survive,” she added.
The CPR Anytime for Family and
Friends program teaches the basic, core skills of cardiopulmonary
resuscitation, enough to double a cardiac arrest victim’s chances of survival.
“The program is fast, fun and full
of life-saving knowledge,” said McGarvey. “It only takes about half an hour to
learn how to save the life of a family member, friend, co-worker or a complete
stranger,” she stressed.
During the training session,
participants watch a DVD demonstration and practice the lifesaving skills
detailed on the DVD. In addition to chest compressions and rescue breathing,
the program teaches participants how to identify a person in distress, calling
(MORE)
911
quickly and checking for signs of circulation. Certified CPR Instructors are
standing by to assist if needed.
“The American Heart Association and
the Bate Foundation have teamed up to provide us with the training kits which
include CPR manikins for this program,” explained McGarvey. “What is so unique
about this approach to life saving education is that participants get to take
the manikin and DVD home with them so they can teach someone else how to save a
life. The goal of the American Heart Association is to ultimately teach at
least 20 million people how to save a life with this program,” she added.
Due to space and equipment
limitations, enrollment is limited to 40 people per session at CarolinaEast
Medical Center and 20 people per session at the Pamlico County and
Pollocksville locations. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. To schedule 30
minutes to save a life, call 252-633-8099, on Tuesday, May 22 between 9:00 a.m.
– 4:00 p.m. Individuals 12 years of age and older are encouraged to attend.
“We have had a number of Scout
troops participate in the past. It is a great opportunity for any youth group,”
said McGarvey.
This very special event is being
held in memory of Joseph Hageman, RN, a long-time employee of CarolinaEast who
fell victim to cardiac arrest. “To honor Joe’s memory, our Education Department
employees are volunteering their time to serve as instructors for this special
day. We hope everyone will take just a few minutes to learn how to save a life,”
said McGarvey.
This event is being offered
free-of-charge as a community service of CarolinaEast Health System, the
American Heart Association and the Harold Bate Foundation.
For more information, call
252-633-8154.
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