Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association Honors Nationwide Patient Advocacy Programs for Addressing Sudden Cardiac Arrest

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Furthering efforts to increase public safety and consciousness of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in communities across the country, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA) honored medical institutions, nonprofit organizations, corporate citizens and patient advocates with its 2011 Leadership Awards for their work to raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), prevent sudden cardiac death and improve cardiovascular health. The awards were presented Saturday, September 24, 2011, at the SCAA Benefit and Awards Dinner in Minneapolis, Minnesota, taking place in conjunction with the 2011 SCAA Annual Meeting.

"This year's award recipients have made a significant mark in the fight to increase survivability from SCA. Whether through public policy, emergency medicine, or community initiatives, these honorees have strategically influenced the public's understanding of SCA," said Jeffrey G. Micklos, chairman of SCAA. "The far-reaching efforts of our honorees have yielded positive results that we hope are replicated by communities, public officials, volunteers and medical professionals across the country."

SCA is the nation's leading cause of death, killing nearly 300,000 Americans each year. SCA is different than a heart attack; rather SCA is generally associated with an electrical disruption of the heart's ability to properly function. Less than eight percent of victims survive because they do not receive immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the shock of an automated external defibrillator (AED) to maintain blood circulation and restore the heart's natural rhythm.

The 2011 SCAA Leadership Award recipients are:

Medical Leadership Award
Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Public Service Award
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
Prior Lake, Minnesota

Public Service Award
The Mikey Network
Toronto, Canada

June Daugherty Public Spirit Award
Billings Clinic Community Training Center
Billings, Montana

Corporate Leadership Award
Cargill, Inc.
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Corporate Emergency Readiness Award
The Walt Disney Company
Orlando, Florida

Chairman's Award
Linda Campbell, RN, Secretary, SCAA Board of Directors
Sue Rusche, Vice President, SCAA Board of Directors

For additional information on the award recipients' SCA-related employee and customer health and safety plans or the 2011 SCAA Benefit and Awards Dinner, visit www.suddencardiacarrest.org.

About the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association
SCAA is the nation's largest non-profit advocacy organization exclusively dedicated to SCA awareness and prevention. Its membership is comprised of SCA survivors, medical professionals, patient advocates, emergency responders, educators and legislators dedicated to promoting solutions to prevent sudden cardiac death through increased awareness, immediate bystander action, public access to defibrillation (PAD) and access to therapies. For more information, please visit www.suddencardiacarrest.org.

SOURCE Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association