Programs and Successes

SAVANNAH, GA–A Catholic high school here could become first in the nation to have 100% of students trained in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and AED (automatic external defibrillator). Its all about Saving Lives in Chatham County Wednesday, April 29 at Benedictine Military School (BC) as entire student body learns how to save lives. BC will become the only high school in Chatham County and possibly the U.S. to have the entire student body trained in CPR, AED, Heimlich Maneuver, and stroke recognition.

The Saving Lives in Chatham County (SLICC) organization is helping to coordinate the event Wednesday from 8AM-3:15PM at BCs 6502 Seawright Drive campus. Volunteer instructors include local cardiologist and BC alumnus, Dr. John Spellman.

In May 2008, around 270 teachers, coaches and nurses in the Escambia County school district, Pensacola, Florida, learnt how to use AEDs.
That training has since paid off.
Just before Christmas, a local school’s band director suffered sudden cardiac arrest while running at school. Someone nearby ran to get the school nurse. The nurse had attended one of those Baptist LifeFlight Outreach Education training classes the previous spring. She immediately applied her training using the AED to resuscitate the teacher. Soon after, emergency medical service transported the teacher to the hospital where he had emergency open heart surgery and recovered fully.
“Saving this life is a direct result of the training we had the privilege of providing our community,” said Patty Trent, training coordinator, Baptist LifeFlight Outreach Education. “This is what community service is all about.”

Upper Arlington City Schools AED program (Project Alive - Saving A Life Is Very Easy) has been in place for about six years. 

This collaborative program between the Upper Arlington Fire Division, the Upper Arlington Schools and community representatives aims to put AED's in all the schools, libraries, community recreation facilities, and police cruisers.

So far, they have placed two AED's in each of the five elementary schools, three AED's in both middle schools and seven AED's at the high school campus.  The project includes training and CPR/AED certification for all students at the High School over a four year period with the American Heart Association HeartSaver AED program.
Students are also trained when they take their required High School Health curriculum and have included CPR certification with all Middle School and High School athletic team captains.

The race was on. A 8-year-old third-grader jumped out of his chair and ran out of the room while his classmates cheered him on. Less than a minute later, he dashed back with an AED. The classmates applauded. 

When he flung open the door of the cabinet housing the AED (automated external defibrillator) it set off an alarm and red flashing light to alert staff of the emergency. If it had been a real emergency, these actions could have helped save someone's life.

 Senator Tracy Steele, from North Little Rock, has introduced legislation providing funding for CPR training and AEDs (automatic external defibrillators) in all schools.

"The Antony Hobbs III" act  is in honor of 17-year old Parkview High Junior Antony Hobbs,  who collapsed during a basketball game in 2008. An autopsy revealed Hobbs had an enlarged heart. An AED on the premises could have improved his chances of survival.

The funds are expected to come from a new tobacco tax.

For 26 years Italy has had a heart screening program. By law, every Italian athlete, from elementary school through the pros, must have an EKG before he or she can play sports. Those with abnormal EKGs got other tests to see if their hearts are structurally abnormal.

Dr. Antonio Pellaccia of the Italian Institute of Sports Medicine and Science, an arm of the Italian National Olympic Committee, and his colleagues identified 81 athletes who had severely abnormal tracings from the 12,550 screening EKGs. Fourteen of them were Olympic athletes.

Churchill County Junior High School nurse Janice Meroth saved the life of a student who had a cardiac emergency in December.
The close call prompted the school board to approve the purchase of two automated external defibrillators (AED) and accessories for both the junior and senior high schools.

The Reviving Hearts Program has been designed by the Cardiovascular Research and Education Foundation of Indiana (CREFI) and The Care Group.
The goal of this community program is to place over 400 Automated Electronic Defibrillators (AEDs) into Indiana High Schools over five years. (details here)  
To date over 20 AEDs have been deployed.

This year they are holding a Dining A La Heart Fundraiser to benefit the placement of AEDs, with training and follow up procedures, in local high schools—for every $2500 raised one more school can be “protected”.