MANSFIELD — “Stayin’ Alive” is the outcome that OhioHealth wants for all patients who suffer a heart attack.
It also happens to be the title of a Bee Gees song that some people use to administer CPR — the disco tune has between 100 to 120 beats per minute.
Every year 350,000 people suffer a heart attack, and though 70 percent happen in the home, only 10 percent of them survive. So, in hopes of improving these statistics, OhioHealth teamed with the American Heart Association to present CPR training kits to representatives from four local school districts Wednesday in the main lobby of the hospital at 335 Glessner Ave.
Mansfield, Madison, Lexington and Shelby schools all received the kits.
“We are taking an initiative that came through legislation and recognized an opportunity that we could partner with the American Heart Association and our schools,” said Jean Halpin, president of OhioHealth Mansfield and Shelby hospitals.
About a year ago, Ohio House Bill 113 passed, making training in hands-only CPR a statewide graduation requirement for all high school students. It won’t become effective until the 2017-2018 school year.
Jenny Peshina, vice president of community development at the American Heart Association in Canton, said the number of people who survive heart attacks could be doubled, even tripled if they receive CPR.
“It will really have a huge impact on people surviving these incidents,” Peshina said.
Dr. Gregory Eaton, system medical chief of OhioHealth Heart and Vascular reiterated her statement.
“(CPR) makes a difference, no matter who’s doing it,” he said. “It’s the biggest impact we can make.
“It makes it … more likely they’ll survive when they come to me.”
Lee Kaple, superintendent at Madison, looks at the new CPR requirement as a positive change. He says the training will be integrated into the health curriculum and is grateful for the kit.
“It will be an excellent training tool,” he said.
The training kits include everything needed to teach the core skills of CPR, choking relief and automated external defibrillator (AED) skills to 10 to 20 students. But the kits are reusable.
Training through the kits can be completed in as little as one class period. So while it does not certify students, it does provide the skills that could save the life of a loved one in an emergency situation.
