[PRESS RELEASE] Commissioner Miller Proposes County CPR/AED Training Awareness Campaign

News Release

From the Office of Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

County Board Unanimously Approves CPR/AED Training Awareness Campaign

Commissioner Miller’s resolution calls for increased awareness and training access for County Employees

(Chicago, IL) – The Cook County Board of Commissioners today unanimously passed a resolution sponsored by Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller (D-6th) to develop a countywide CPR/AED training awareness campaign and increased access for county employees. The legislation was prompted by the fact that the majority of cardiac arrests occur in public settings as well as the need to raise awareness and training access for county employees.

“Nationwide, 45% of cardiac arrest victims survived when bystander CPR was administered” said Commissioner Miller, adding “One of the “Bystander Effect” statistics that struck me about cardiac arrests was that African Americans and Hispanics are 30-50% less likely to have CPR performed if they suffer an incident-we can and must do better and I think the County recognized that leading by example is an important first step”.

The resolution requests that the Cook County Health and Hospitals System along with the Cook County
Department of Public Health and their partners develop the awareness campaign and that the expanded training program for employees should be in accordance with the standards of the American Heart Association, or another nationally recognized certifying organization.

Commissioner Miller noted the support of her colleagues on the Board all of whom co-sponsored the measure, saying “I am grateful to all of my colleagues who co-sponsored this legislation with me and I believe this is an important initiative that will begin to create a fair, more equitable Cook County as it concerns healthy communities, which is one of the core policy areas outlined in the Cook County Policy Roadmap”.

“Each year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital. Unfortunately, 90 percent of those people will die,” said Andrew Rauh, MD, member of the American Heart Association’s Metro Chicago Board of Directors. “Immediate CPR after a cardiac arrest can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival, and that’s why this initiative is so important. Hands-only CPR is easy to learn, and training Cook County’s 22,000 employees will result in lives saved right here in our community. We applaud the county’s efforts.”

“Bystanders initiated CPR in 40.7% of cardiac arrests, however use of AED was initiated in only 5.7% of cases. This is a gap we can close by making our communities and coworkers more comfortable with this life-saving device”, said Dr. Jeannine Turner of Cardiac Wellness Consultants, adding “Commissioner Miller’s initiative is laser focused on this task and is poised to make a dramatic impact and save lives in Cook County”

“I look forward to working with the Health and Hospitals System, the Department of Public Health and our partners like the American Heart Association to develop this program and making a positive difference in the lives of our employees as well as the residents of our communities both in the Southland and all of Cook County”, said Miller.

The campaign is set to begin in February to coincide with American Heart Month.

To view, the Legislative Details click here

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