American Heart Association Keeps the Beat A Capella Style With New Hands-Only™ CPR Training Video

DALLAS, May 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- In only one minute, you can learn how to save a life. Trust us, it's worth your time, because 70 percent of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen at home, so the life you save is likely to be someone you know and love. The American Heart Association says Hands-Only CPR can double or triple a victim's chance of survival and is as effective as CPR with breaths.

With funding from the Anthem Foundation, the American Heart Association is debuting a new Hands-Only^™ CPR music-based training video, designed to showcase the simplicity and lifesaving benefits of Hands-Only CPR. The video features the unique sounds of the wildly-talented a capella group, Street Corner Symphony, and is available today at www.heart.org/handsonlycpr.

Viewers will learn the two simple steps to Hands-Only CPR: 1) If you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, call 9-1-1; and 2) Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the rate of at least 100 beats per minute, the beat of the classic Bee Gees' hit "Stayin' Alive." The video features stars Street Corner Symphony harmonizing to this iconic song and challenges everyone to #KeepTheBeat. Watch it. Share it. Be prepared to act in an emergency.

"Music has been a fundamental tool with which AHA educates people on the rhythm needed to save a life with Hands-Only CPR, at least 100 beats per minute," said Alson Inaba, MD, longtime AHA volunteer, and the doctor who came up with the concept of using "Stayin' Alive" to teach and remember the proper rate of chest compressions. "With the rising popularity of a capella music, we're thrilled that Street Corner Symphony has helped us create a dynamic and memorable video that will help more people confidently take action in an emergency."

The timing of AHA's new video launch coincides with EMS Awareness Week (May 17 - 23) in honor of the men and women who are dedicated to saving lives with CPR every day. EMS professionals are on healthcare's front lines, and play a huge role in teaching Hands-Only CPR in their communities so more bystanders are prepared to act.

"Cardiac arrest remains a leading cause of death in the United States, and survival depends on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby," said Robert W. Neumar, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of the University of Michigan Medical School's Department of Emergency Medicine. "With every minute that goes by without intervention, survival rates drop as much as 10 percent. That's a staggering statistic AHA is looking to change by arming everyone with the lifesaving skill of CPR," said Neumar, who also serves as Chair of the American Heart Association's Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee.

"Every year, more than 300,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital, and failure to act in a cardiac emergency can lead to unnecessary death," said Sam Nussbaum, MD, chief medical officer for Anthem, Inc. "Effective bystander CPR provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest can double or even triple chances of survival. That's why for the past three years, we've been working closely with the American Heart Association to help educate people about Hands-Only- CPR. To date, we've helped to educate and train more than three million people in this lifesaving skill with the goal of preparing people to act in an emergency to save the lives of strangers, or those they love most."

To learn more about the Hands-Only CPR campaign and learn how to save a life, visit www.heart.org/handsonlycpr or facebook.com/AHACPR.

About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. As part of our dedication to saving lives, we are setting out to train all Americans in lifesaving Hands-Only CPR. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country.

About Anthem Foundation
The Anthem Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Anthem, Inc. and through charitable contributions and programs, the Foundation promotes the inherent commitment of Anthem, Inc. to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and families in communities that Anthem, Inc. and its affiliated health plans serve. The Foundation focuses its funding on strategic initiatives that address and provide innovative solutions to health care challenges, as well as promoting the Healthy Generations Program, a multi-generational initiative that targets specific disease states and medical conditions. These disease states and medical conditions include: prenatal care in the first trimester, low birth weight babies, cardiac morbidity rates, long term activities that decrease obesity and increase physical activity, diabetes prevalence in adult populations, adult pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations and smoking cessation. The Foundation also coordinates the company's year-round Associate Giving program which provides a 50 percent match of associates' pledges, as well as its Volunteer Time Off and Dollars for Doers community service programs. To learn more about the Anthem Foundation, please visit http://www.anthem.foundation and its blog at http://anthemfoundation.tumblr.com.

Accredited Media Inquiries Only:
Kailey Shatzer, American Heart Association
O: 214-706-1538
[email protected]

Kailyn Finnegan, Edelman
O: 212-704-8118
[email protected]

Leslie Porras, Anthem Foundation
O: (818) 234-3368
[email protected]

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Video - http://youtu.be/HjKeTo3c2wM
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150515/216413LOGO
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SOURCE American Heart Association

Related Links

http://www.heart.org