Dignity Health educators inform community on importance of CPR

Nurses from Marian Regional Medical Center and French Hospital work with public to raise awareness during National CPR Week

During the first week of June, educators at Dignity Health’s Marian Regional Medical Center and French Hospital Medical Center spent time urging the community to learn CPR. 

Each year, June 1-7 is National CPR and AED Awareness Week and Dignity Health staff members made time to spotlight how lives can be saved if more people know CPR and how to use an AED. 

CPR, short for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is an emergency procedure performed when the heart stops beating. Immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest.

At the Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market on June 6, registered nurses Cherie McKinley, Lynn Nordhus, and Linda Evans-Dunn, from French Hospital, and Robyn Dodds, from Marian, met face-to-face with community members to share information about hands-only CPR. 

Erin McBride-Amos, the Central Coast Market Director of Education Services for Dignity Health, also helped raise community awareness by appearing in a nightly news segment on KEYT.

McBride-Amos noted that 70% of all cardiac arrests happen outside of the hospital, highlighting how vital traditional and hands-only CPR is. 

“We really want the community to join us in doing hands-only CPR and saving lives,” McBride-Amos said. 

“People often ask, ‘Am I going to hurt somebody if I do this and they don’t need CPR?’ And the answer is no,” McBride-Amos added. “If the person wakes up and starts moving or speaking, we of course would stop the compressions, otherwise by not doing anything there’s no chance of survival.”

McBride-Amos noted how simple hands-only CPR is. 

 “It’s very, very easy. You put your hands in the middle of the chest and you compress hard and fast. If you see somebody collapse, you want to call 911, ask for an AED, and start compressions.”

According to the American Heart Association, 350,000 people die from cardiac arrest in the United States every year. CPR helps by keeping a person’s blood flow active and extends the opportunity for a successful resuscitation once trained medical staff arrive on site.

Marian Regional Medical Center, French Hospital Medical Center and Arroyo Grande Community Hospital all offer community CPR classes. 

For information on American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR/AED Classes offered at Dignity Health Central Coast locations, click here.