Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller, Heart Health Experts Highlight Importance of CPR/AED Training During American Heart Month (Cook County, IL) — Today, 6th District Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller was joined by Derrick Cabrera of the American Heart Association, Michael K. Lall, President and COO of AED Professionals, and 9th District Cook County Commissioner Maggie Trevor to highlight the importance of CPR/AED training. As February is American Heart Month, participants spoke about why learning CPR techniques and how to use AED devices, as well as prioritizing cardiovascular health and wellness, are so crucial to the entire community’s health and wellness.

“Knowing how to perform CPR and use an AED device could be the difference between life and death, and it’s crucial that people have the tools they need to make a difference in a crisis. This American Heart Month, I’m proud to join together with heart health professionals to bring awareness to this important issue and encourage people in their communities to learn how they can save lives,” said Commissioner Donna Miller. “When I first took office, I implemented CPR/AED training for Cook County employees, and I’m thrilled to resume that in-person training today. Everyone has a role to play in cardiovascular wellness throughout the county and beyond.”

Commissioner Miller is hosting a day-long CPR/AED training at the County building for County employees to help individuals learn how to perform life-saving intervention techniques in cardiovascular crises. Nearly 100 employees signed up to participate throughout the day.

“Each year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside the hospital in the United States. More than 20 percent of these occur in public spots like the County building we’re standing in right now,” said Derrick Cabrera, community advocacy director for the American Heart Association. “Bystander CPR and the use of an AED can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival, and we thank Commissioner Miller for her commitment to making Cook County a healthier and safer place.”

Since she first took office in 2019, Commissioner Miller has made it a priority to use her background in the healthcare industry to educate residents on the risks of cardiovascular disease, how to prevent it, and how to improve outcomes of cardiac events through CPR training. To help improve outcomes for those with heart disease, Commissioner Miller helped implement in-person CPR and AED training and virtual CPR and AED training for Cook County employees, an initiative that won a 2022 National Association of Counties Achievement Award. To date, hundreds of employees along with elected officials and department heads have taken part in the training, including the Cook County Board President and staff, members of the Board of Commissioners and staff, and executives and staff from agencies of separately elected officials and Cook County Health.

“The statistics are compelling, there’s a 67% likelihood of survival when a bystander uses an AED and high-quality CPR on a sudden cardiac arrest victim. I would like to thank Commissioner Miller for enlightening the public on the simple steps we can take to ensure all communities have the equivalent opportunity of survival. With her efforts and AED Professionals, let’s make it everyone’s business to save lives,” said Michael K. Lall, President and COO of AED Professionals.

CPR/AED training is particularly important for African Americans and Hispanics, who are 30-50% less likely to have bystander CPR performed when suffering from a cardiac event than white adults. Women are also less likely to receive bystander CPR because people fear accusations of inappropriate touching, sexual assault, or injuring the person, with only 39% of women receiving bystander CPR in public compared to 45% of men and men’s chances of surviving a cardiac event are 23% higher than women. Having CPR initiated by a bystander when someone is suffering from cardiac arrest can almost double or triple the chances of survival.

In 2022, Commissioner Miller released a report titled “Cardiovascular Health in the Southland,” which examined the impacts of location and race on cardiovascular disease survival and outcomes in suburban Cook County. The report found that overall, cardiovascular disease-related deaths occur more frequently in CCDPH’s South jurisdiction, which has a substantial Black population, compared to the Southwest jurisdiction, whose population is predominantly white. To increase access, Commissioner Miller’s office also made the report available in Spanish earlier this month.

Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller, Heart Health Experts Highlight Importance of CPR/AED Training During American Heart Month

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