In 2015, the American Heart Association assembled a group of stakeholders from several organizations, including the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, to develop tools to assist schools in establishing cardiac emergency response plans. Led by co-chairs Kathleen Rose, RN, and Monica Goble, MD, they prepared “Cardiac Emergency Response Planning for Schools: A Policy Statement.”
The statement reads in part: "A sudden cardiac arrest in school or at a school event is potentially devastating to families and communities. An appropriate response to such an event--as promoted by developing, implementing, and practicing a cardiac emergency response plan (CERP)--can increase survival rates. Understanding that a trained lay-responder team within the school can make a difference in the crucial minutes between the time when the victim collapses and when emergency medical services arrive empowers school staff and can save lives." (See attachment.)
Authors include:
- Kathleen Rose, RN, National Association of School Nurses
- Monica Goble, MD, C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, University of Michigan Health System
- Stuart Berger, MD, University of California, Davis/American Academy of Pediatrics
- Ron Courson, ATC, PT, NRAEMT, CSCS, National Athletic Trainers’ Association
- Gwen Fosse, C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, University of Michigan Health System
- Randall Gillary, JD, The Kimberly Anne Gillary Foundation
- Joe Halowich, MS, MCHES, SHAPE America
- Julia J. Indik, MD, PhD, Sarver Heart Center/American College of Cardiology
- Madeleine Konig, MPH, American Heart Association
- Martha Lopez-Anderson, Parent Heart Watch
- M. Kathleen Murphy, University of Texas
- Mary M. Newman, MS, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation
- Jeff Ranous, American Heart Association
- Comilla Sasson, MD, American Heart Association
- Howard Taras, MD, University of California, San Diego
- Allison Thompson, Project ADAM.
"It was an honor to collaborate in the development of the Cardiac Emergency Response Planning for Schools policy statement and toolkit," said Mary Newman, MS, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation president. "We hope schools around the country will find these materials helpful and that ultimately, they will help save lives."
The CERP toolkit is available here.