Loading....
Members of the Zephyr Cove Tennis Club learned how to perform CPR, thanks to training offered by Barton Education.
The first few minutes are the most important when caring for an individual under sudden cardiac arrest.
Within 4 to 6 minutes, brain damage can occur. For
every minute that passes without CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), the chance for survival reduces 7 to 10%.
Sudden cardiac arrest claims the lives of more than
325,000 Americans each year, accounting for a death every two minutes. According to the American Heart Association, cardiac arrest claims more lives each year than colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, influenza, pneumonia, auto accidents, HIV, firearms and house fires
combined.
Nearly all deaths happen before the victim can safely get to the hospital and are often witnessed by a family member,
Learning how to perform chest compressions
is a key element to performing CPR.
Impact of the Program
Donations to the Barton Foundation allow for the financial support to maintain AED equipment throughout the community and provide free AED training and CPR instruction to individuals.
“Our goal is to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of heart attacks and cardiac arrest. Community members are a vital link in the chain of survival,” said Chris Kiser, Barton Foundation Executive Director. “Lives will be saved if people learn to recognize symptoms, and more importantly, how to act on those symptoms before the arrival of first responders.”
Potential AED placements include grocery stores, retail outlets, churches, schools, golf courses, marinas, beaches, restaurants and other areas in which large groups of people gather.
“Someone who has no medical experience or has high anxiety in a cardiac arrest situation no longer has to sit in
friend or co-worker. Experts believe that if more people were trained in CPR, and if AEDs were more accessible, survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest could increase to as high as 50%.
Enter, the Heart Safe Community initiative, sponsored by the Barton Foundation. The program aims to decrease the number of cardiac arrest-related deaths by increasing access to lifesaving training and medical equipment.
“There are not many programs out there that have such a direct impact on saving lives,” said Kyle Sullivan, who coordinates the CPR/AED training program through Barton Education. “This program teaches immediate implementation of high-quality chest compressions and early defibrillation with an AED, which is a patient’s best chance of survival.”
Kyle Sullivan, lower right, of Barton Education, explains the placement of chest pads to an interested group of tennis players.
fear and wait until first responders arrive,” Sullivan
explained. “My favorite part of training is watching
community members have that ‘ah-ha’ moment.
They realize they are a vital part of patient care and
that saving a life is much easier than they thought.
It’s an empowering experience.”
How to Participate
Manufactured by Zoll, AEDs are available through
the Barton Foundation’s Heart Safe Community
fund for a tax-deductible donation of $2,300.
Donors can purchase and donate the AEDs to local
organizations, such as schools, churches and public buildings.
“We use the donations to make this program possible,” Sullivan concluded. “Financial burden should never prevent someone from learning to save a life. I hope more people will join this movement, whether they are donating or receiving. Let’s see our Tahoe Community become Heart
Safe!”
To donate to the Heart safe Community Fund, go to: www.bartonhealthfoundation.org For additional details on the Heart Safe Community program, contact the Barton Foundation at 530-543-5612.