Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia: Take 60 Seconds to Strengthen Your Community this Fourth of July by Learning the American Heart Association's Hands-Only CPR™

ATLANTA, June 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Depending on your perspective, disco may not be a highlight in America's history, but this Fourth of July Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia (BCBSGa) is asking everyone to revisit the bygone musical era for 60 seconds in order to learn how to save a life with the American Heart Association's Hands-Only CPR (HOCPR).

HOCPR is CPR without rescue breathing – just chest compressions. When performed to the beat of the disco song "Stayin' Alive," HOCPR has been shown to be as effective as conventional CPR for sudden cardiac arrest at home, at work or in public. In fact, "Stayin' Alive" is the centerpiece of the American Heart Association's new awareness campaign because it has more than 100 beats per minute, the near-perfect rate at which you should push on the chest during CPR.

Hands-Only CPR has just two easy steps:

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 beat of the classic disco song "Stayin' Alive."

A 60-second video illustrating the Hands-Only CPR technique is available online at www.heart.org/handsonlycpr.

"Each year, nearly 400,000 Americans suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and almost 90 percent of them die because they don't receive immediate CPR from someone on the scene," said Dr. Mark Kishel, managing medical director for BCBSGa. "Our country has a proud tradition of helping our neighbors in need, and I can think of no better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than by taking 60 seconds to strengthen the health and readiness of your community by learning Hands-Only CPR with this video."

Supported by a three-year, $4.5 million grant from BCBSGa's corporate foundation, the HOCPR campaign is training Americans across the country and contributing to the American Heart Association's goal to double survival from cardiac arrest by 2020. The campaign uses entertainment and humor to deliver serious lifesaving messages through the launch of TV and radio public service announcements, digital promotions, a one-minute animated HOCPR "how to" video and a multi-city mobile CPR training tour.

"During a time of the year when many people are on vacation or out and about, this message is particularly important," said Dr. Kishel. "Regardless of whether you check out the training video on your phone at the beach or in the comfort of your own home, this method is easy to learn and something that almost anyone can do."  

The HOCPR mobile training tour visited Atlanta last week and to date, has visited four other cities. Since the tour kicked off in New York City in June, more than 100,000 people have watched the one-minute training video online.

More information about Hands-Only CPR and the campaign is available at heart.org/handsonlycpr.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia, Inc. and Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthcare Plan of Georgia, Inc. are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association^®. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Additional information about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia is available at www.bcbsga.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/healthjoinin, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HealthJoinInBCBSGa, visit our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/healthjoinin or check out the Our Health Connects Us campaign site at http://connects.bcbsga.com/.

About the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia Foundation

Through charitable grant making, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia Foundation LLC, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, promotes Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia's inherent commitment to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and families in communities that the company serves. 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 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 annual associate giving campaign and its parent foundation provides a 50 percent match of associates' campaign pledges. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America's No. 1 and No. 4 killers. 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 save 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.

SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia