American Heart Association Launches New Campaign to Increase Bystander CPR Among Latino Millennials
Video Debuts with Anthem Foundation's Support During National CPR & AED Awareness Week
DALLAS, June 1, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Latino millennials, the youngest major racial or ethnic group in the United States, take center stage in a new video released today to teach them how to save a life using Hands-Only CPR. The video, produced by the American Heart Association (AHA) in conjunction with the Anthem Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Anthem, Inc., showcases Hands-Only CPR, a two-step, easy-to-learn lifesaving technique.
In the United States, Latinos and blacks are at a higher risk for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with a poor prognosis. Latinos specifically are 30 percent less likely to have bystander CPR performed on them in a cardiac emergency, making them less likely to survive.
"Nearly one-in-four U.S. Hispanics are millennials, and it is time to teach this generation – my generation – a very simple skill that could save the life of someone they love," said Manuel Medina, an AHA Instructor who teaches CPR and first aid through Nurses Educational Opportunities in San Diego.
The new video, produced in Spanglish to address the growing share of Latino millennials who are less inclined to use Spanish and speak only English at home, features a storyline inspired by Hispanic culture. The 90-second spot introduces a Hispanic mother who always knows best and never fails to remind her children of her wisdom. After a series of cuts displaying the mom's smarts, the children turn the tables and show her how easy it is to perform Hands-Only CPR.
"Hands-Only CPR is so simple," Medina said. "First, if you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, call 9-1-1. Then push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of "Stayin' Alive" – the perfect rhythm for CPR – until help arrives."
The video is being released exclusively on AHA's website (www.heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR) to coincide with National CPR & AED Awareness Week (June 1-7, 2016), which educates Americans about CPR and AED training in order to increase the chance of survival from cardiac arrest. Every year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside the hospital; only 10 percent of people survive. CPR can double or even triple the chances of survival if provided immediately.
"Hispanics have higher heart disease risks and yet there are barriers and lack of information that keep them from calling 9-1-1 for assistance during a cardiac emergency," said Craig Samitt, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at Anthem, Inc. "The video will help reduce barriers and allow viewers to understand the vital role they can serve by acting quickly and performing Hands-Only CPR. This latest public awareness effort continues the inspiring teamwork between the American Heart Association and the Anthem Foundation, which has resulted in more than three million people being trained in lifesaving Hands-Only CPR."
"During cardiac arrest, every second matters," said Gustavo Flores, M.D., an AHA instructor who serves as Director at Emergency & Critical Care Trainings LLC. "This new educational video can serve as an accessible resource that will empower Hispanic millennials to learn Hands-Only CPR, an important skill that can potentially make a difference for their loved ones in a cardiac arrest situation."
To view the video, visit 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 – two of the 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. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the 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.
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SOURCE American Heart Association
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