Marshfield Clinic and Ministry Health Care Heart Team Provide CPR Anytime Training
Team receives $54,000 grant from the American Heart Association to initiate significant CPR training effort in Central and Northern Wisconsin
Thousands of families in central and northern Wisconsin will receive what could be a life-saving gift from the Heart Care Team of Marshfield Clinic and Ministry Health Care in the coming months. Marshfield Clinic/Ministry Health Care is the recipient of a $54,000 grant to provide American Heart Association “CPR Anytime Kits” to assist in the implementation of a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training program that is simple and convenient to use.
In Rhinelander, this training will be held in conjunction with the Community Health and Wellness Fair at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Rhinelander. Training sessions will be available at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Participation will be limited to the first 50 participants. A Marshfield Clinic educator will be on site providing a brief, 20 minute CPR overview to participants, each participant will receive a “CPR Anytime Kit” and be encouraged to bring the kit home to help train their friends and families.
Each “CPR Anytime Kit” contains a training DVD and a manikin, which inflates to practice ventilation and compression techniques that are part of performing CPR. “The person who receives the CPR Anytime kit can continue to practice those techniques, and share the kit with family members,” said Melinda Ogstad-Vallier, Medical Sub-specialties manager at Marshfield Clinic Minocqua Center.
“About 95 percent of sudden cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital, according to American Heart Association statistics. Death is not inevitable, though, if more people knew and performed CPR,” said Dr. Thomas Roy, Cardiologist, Marshfield Clinic Minocqua Center. “Because many cardiac arrests occur at home, CPR training can help save a family member or friend. Brain death begins four to six minutes after cardiac arrest. A victim’s chance of survival doubles when effective bystander CPR is provided immediately.”
The American Heart Association chose the two health care leaders to develop the program because of its strong relationship and because Marshfield Clinic and Ministry Health Care have a vast network of facilities in north central Wisconsin.
Katie Connolly, Community Strategies Manager for the American Heart Association says the association has recognized that millions of people aren’t being reached with CPR training.
“The typical person that takes the training needs it for their job. That’s why the American Heart Association, along with Laerdal Medical, developed ‘CPR Anytime’. It’s an easy, quick and cost-effective way to reach the masses with CPR training. Once an individual goes through the training with the kit, it’s theirs to keep and take home to train their families and friends. Thus, reaching an average 3 additional people – those individuals normally wouldn’t attend a CPR class – and resulting in more lives being saved. Through Marshfield’s involvement with the program, thousands of people will be trained and have the skills needed to save lives,” said Connolly.
The funds allocated to the Marshfield Clinic/Ministry Health Care Heart Team from the American Heart Association are the result of an allocation from American Family Insurance’s charity cap campaign conducted with the Green Bay Packers. Two years ago, Packer fans from throughout the world purchased red caps in support of the green and gold and benefiting heart research, education and other support programs.
In communities throughout central and northern Wisconsin, Marshfield Clinic and Ministry Health Care staff will be leading CPR Anytime training as a part of the American Heart Association’s global effort to train an additional million Americans in CPR over the next year.
For more information, call 715.361.2874.