US Congressman Phil Roe, MD (TN), honored last week by the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Coalition at "Take Heart Against Sudden Cardiac Arrest," an event in Washington, DC, has issued a statement about his resolution that encourages individuals to seek training in the use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated defibrillators (AEDs).
“Heart disease affects men, women and children of every age and race in our country, and it continues to be the leading cause of death in America. A way to improve our health care system is to support and promote ways to educate individuals about important health care issues such as heart disease. That is why I introduced a resolution that would bring awareness to those affected by heart disease. Specifically, this resolution encourages individuals to seek training on how to properly administer CPR and how to use AEDs. The more we can educate and train individuals about CPR and AEDs, the more opportunities we have in this country to save lives when someone is suffering from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.”
This is great news for the 50 nonprofit organizations that have united to form the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Coalition. "We applaud Rep. Phil Roe not only for helping to save the life of a 52-year-old father of three in September, but also for 'taking a stand against sudden cardiac arrest,'" said Mary Newman, President of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation and Co-Chair of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Coalition.