National CPR Day: Pomona Valley Hospital Has Its Heart in the Right Place

Human heart removed from a 64-year-old man.

In honor of National CPR Day, Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (PVHMC), in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency and the American Heart Association (AHA), will be hosting three Countywide Sidewalk Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) “Hands Only” public education sites in the local area this Thursday, June 7.

“Hands Only CPR can literally be taught in five minutes, yet this simple skill could save a person’s life should they suffer a heart attack,” says Darlene Scafiddi, RN, vice president of Nursing and Patient Care Services at PVHMC.  “It is easy to learn and CPR that is started before paramedics arrive can be a vital part of helping to save someone’s life.”

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with more than 350,000 out-of-hospital deaths each year.  Studies show that prompt, effective delivery of CPR can nearly triple a victim’s chance of survival by helping maintain vital blood flow to the heart and brain.  Hands-only CPR has been shown to be as effective as conventional CPR for sudden cardiac arrest at home, at work or in public.  It can double or even triple a victim’s chance for survival according to the American Heart Association.

Pomona Valley Hospital will be hosting the Hands Only CPR at the following sites from 10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 7, 2012:

• Cardenas Market parking lot at 2001 S. Garey Ave., Pomona, CA 91766
• Claremont Chamber front patio at 205 Yale Avenue, Claremont, CA 91711
• Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center Main Lobby, 1798 N. Garey Ave., Pomona

Registered nurses from PVHMC will be teaching the Hands Only CPR and they will be assisted by
students from Western University of Health Sciences.

For those unable to attend demonstrations of the compressions–only CPR you can visit heart.org/handsonlycpr to watch the Hands-Only CPR instructional video.  The AHA still recommends CPR with compressions and breaths for infants, children and victims of drowning, drug overdose or people who collapse due to breathing problems.

For further information please contact PVHMC at (909) 865=9129 or the AHA web site at www.heart.org