Member milestone anniversary
Celebrating 100 years
American Heart Association improving health for more than a century
By Mike Danahey
The American Heart Association was founded in June 1924 by six cardiologists in Chicago inspired by a social worker who felt more could be done to help people who suffered heart attacks.
Over its first 100 years, the nonprofit with a vision of improving health around the world has grown dramatically, including in New Bern and across Eastern North Carolina.
“We have had volunteers who have been active in Eastern North Carolina for an extremely long time, some dating back to the 1960s,” said Erin Fox, Senior Development Director for the American Heart Associations’ Eastern North Carolina team.
Fox said the Association has had a team in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Triangle since 1992. The organization has staff throughout North Carolina, including four people who reside in Eastern North Carolina.
“Our presence in Eastern North Carolina has also been strengthened with the addition and hiring of a full-time community impact director,” Fox said.
This director is focused on more outreach throughout the region and connecting the community with resources. The hiring of this position is a pilot program for the American Heart Association, with this being the first full-time community impact director in a rural market.
In honor of its 100th birthday, working with the North Carolina Council of Churches the Association will be placing 100 self-monitored blood pressure stations throughout the state.
Through its work with CarolinaEast, this fall the Eastern NC Association team will be adding more self-monitored blood pressure locations in its respective region. The Eastern NC team is also working alongside the Neuse Regional Library system to provide area libraries with blood pressure kits for patrons to check out so they can measure blood pressure at home.
Over the last year, the Eastern North Carolina Association team put in place nine Cardiac Emergency Response plans with Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs).
These electronic medical devices check a person’s heart rhythm and can recognize a rhythm that requires a shock. The devices advise the rescuer when a shock is needed by using voice prompts, lights and text messages that tell the rescuer the steps to take.
AEDs are very accurate and easy to use, Fox said, and anyone can operate the device safely.
“Having the additional nine AEDs in place means we have approximately 20 Cardiac Emergency Response plans in process with various organizations throughout Eastern North Carolina, and we plan to double that number,” Fox said.
In extremely rural communities such as Jones County, the focus is on comprehensive programs and establishing rural hubs to help save more lives in the event of a cardiac emergency. Toward that goal, the Eastern NC Association team has provided Jones County a stipend to purchase five AEDs.
The devices will be strategically placed to provide better cardiac emergency response in this rural community where getting to a hospital can take well over 30 minutes, Fox said.
“We are always working on the placement of AEDs and the implementation of our Cardiac Emergency Response Plans,” Fox said.
When her team receives requests for AEDs from local partners, staff works with them to determine the need. The team also works collaboratively with EMS to determine the best utilization of the AED. Considerations include if the AED should be placed on the outside of the building instead of inside so that it’s more accessible, Fox said.
“Our approach is comprehensive in that we make sure people understand how to use the AED, provide training and also make sure the AED meets the needs of the organization in both placement and type of AED,” Fox said.
The Eastern NC Association team works with clinics and hospitals in the area, including CarolinaEast, on outpatient cardiovascular disease quality guideline programs which ensure local residents get the same high-quality care for heart conditions.
“These quality programs include and help our clinical partners implement the latest clinical guidelines,” Fox said.
And the Eastern NC team is actively involved with the Association’s Nation of Lifesavers initiative, which provides resources to organizations across the region that help move people from bystanders to being lifesavers to people in the throes of cardiac arrest.
“We offer tools to our community partners that include our CPR Anywhere and CPR Anytime training kits which can be used by anyone, anywhere to train people in Hands-Only CPR. We are expanding our list of champions throughout the region who are passionate about helping us train more people in this life-saving skill.” Fox said.
The kits have all the resources needed to demonstrate and teach hands-only CPR. They have been provided to the CarolinaEast Training Center, The Filling Station, local volunteer fire departments, schools systems throughout Eastern NC, health departments and other community organizations.
According to the American Heart Association, about 90% of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival.
“If you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you will most likely be trying to save the life of someone you love – a spouse, a parent or a friend,” Fox said. “CPR is a lifesaving skill that most people can learn and perform correctly.”
For more information and to learn Hands-Only CPR, go to www.heart/handsonlycpr. For a wealth of heart health information, visit www.heart.org.