Florida Heart Research Institute (FHRI) has joined forces with Miami-Dade County Mayor Carolos Gimenez and six local Miami-Dade County Fire Departments to help save lives from sudden cardiac arrest in a public awareness campaign that launches February 6th in conjunction with Stop Heart Disease Week issued by proclamation from Governor Rick Scott in an effort to encourage Floridians to become more proactive in the fight against sudden cardiac arrest and heart disease.
The PUSHCPR® campaign emphasizes the need to act quickly by calling 911 and starting CPR when witnessing or finding someone who has collapsed and is not responding and not breathing normally. Nearly 300,000 lives are lost each year due to sudden cardiac arrest – most without any warning. “FHRI has joined forces with Mayor Gimenez and our local Miami-Dade County Fire Departments to let the public know that we need their help to save lives and increase survival rates of sudden cardiac arrest in our community”, implores FHRI’s Chief Executive Officer, Kathleen DuCasse. Since victims of sudden cardiac arrest are already clinically dead, it is the quick actions of bystanders that increase the chances of survival. Mayor Gimenez and local Miami-Dade County Fire Chiefs demonstrate the simplicity of PUSHCPR® in the English and Spanish public service announcements. The 30 second videos explain that no longer is mouth to mouth contact required, just push hard and fast in the center of the chest until help arrives. Florida law protects Good Samaritans from any liability. Communities that promote the use of this simple technique have proven to increase survival rates of sudden cardiac arrest from seven percent to nearly fifty percent. The public service announcements will be aired on municipal TV stations throughout February.
In addition, Stop Heart Disease Week is a reminder to all Floridians to “Know Your Numbers” for blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose. Abnormal clinical values are often a precursor to heart disease, our Nation’s leading cause of death and disability. FHRI encourages all Floridians to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, whole grains and low sugar along with daily physical activity in order to reduce the risk factors for heart disease. “We encourage all Floridians to take the time to get screened and find out if they’re at risk,” says FHRI’s Chief Executive Officer, Kathleen DuCasse. “Heart disease is not a death sentence – it can be prevented, stopped and even reversed when the proper corrective steps are taken.”
The campaigns are funded by the Stop Heart Disease license plate which supports heart disease research, education and prevention programs throughout the state of Florida. In Florida, there will be more than 50,000 deaths per year from cardiovascular disease, and hospitalization costs to care for Floridians with heart disease will top $18.6 billion this year.
