The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation has launched a novel online community for people affected by sudden cardiac arrest—the Cardiac Arrest Survivor AllianceTM. CASA is a home for patients, families, friends, caregivers, and advocates. The community offers peer support, evidence-based information, monthly webinars, and access to experts—all designed to help community members recover, re-engage, and thrive.
“We are fortunate to have such a strong, multi-disciplinary scientific advisory committee that ensures the integrity of resources provided in the community,” said Mary Newman, MS, Foundation president. “In addition, we are pleased to see the community is growing rapidly and to see that members provide one another with positive, empathetic peer support.”
Until recently, the psychological and cognitive effects of sudden cardiac arrest on survivors and their families were not fully recognized or addressed by the medical community. As more people survive SCA now than ever before, it has become increasingly clear that SCA survivors and their loved ones (co-survivors) need emotional support and resources to manage survivorship challenges.
CASA is jointly directed by Newman; Joe Farrell, DPT, survivor and SCAF Board Vice-Chair; and Alexander Presciutti, MA, MSCS, Clinical Psychology Fellow, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. The scientific advisory committee is led by Joshua Lupton, MD, MPH, MPhil, survivor and Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Oregon Health and Sciences University.
To join CASA, click here.