Marian Regional Medical Center is offering Free Hands-Only CPR training in Honor of National CPR and AED Week

Santa Maria, CA, June 3, 2024 – June is National Safety month and this week, communities across the nation are coming together to raise awareness about the importance of CPR and AED’s (Automated External Defibrillator) during National CPR and AED Week, which runs from June 1-June 7. This annual event highlights the critical role bystanders can play in saving lives during cardiac emergencies.

Dignity Health Marian Regional Medical Center is raising awareness about the critical importance of CPR and how it can help save lives by offering free Hands-Only CPR demonstrations at San Luis Obispo’s Famous Farmer’s Market on Thursday, June 6th.

Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States, claiming the lives of approximately 350,000 Americans each year. Shockingly, 70% of these cardiac arrests occur in homes, where immediate action is crucial. However, less than half of victims receive the immediate help they need before professional help arrives. This is why learning CPR and knowing how to use an AED is so important.

“These are staggering statistics and it's the reason we want to educate as many people as possible to learn how to perform CPR,” says Kelly Olney, RN, Nursing Education Specialist at Marian Regional Medical Center. “Many times if people who suffer a heart attack were to receive CPR immediately it can double or triple their chance of survival. “

Additionally AEDs, which deliver a shock to the heart to restore a normal rhythm, can be life-saving when used alongside CPR.

“Hands Only CPR is very simple to learn.” Olney said. “And by taking the time to learn CPR skills, you could be the difference between life and death for someone you love.”

The Dignity Health booth will be located in the center of the Farmer’s Market on Chorro and Higuera Street on Thursday, June 6th from 6pm-9pm. In addition to Free CPR demonstrations, there will be fun giveaways and a raffle to win dinner at a downtown restaurant. 

For more information or for media interviews please contact [email protected].

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About Marian Regional Medical Center

Dignity Health Marian Regional Medical Center is a state-of-the-art, 191-bed medical center located in Santa Maria, California. The modern facility is home to a broad array of services including a level II trauma center, a level III neonatal intensive care unit, a nationally recognized cardiac care center, and boasts the Central Coast’s only Comprehensive Community Cancer Program as recognized by the Commission on Cancer. Marian has also been recognized with an “A” grade in quality and patient safety by the Leapfrog Group. Marian Regional Medical Center together with Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, and Pacific Central Coast Health Centers, comprise Dignity Health Central Coast, a network of hospitals, physicians, outpatient services including physician offices, ambulatory surgery centers, technologically-advanced laboratories and imaging centers, and a full service home health agency. Learn more at dignityhealth.org/marianregional.