October 16 is World Restart a Heart Day
Courtney Carter
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2024

October 16 is World Restart a Heart Day

The power to save a life is in your hands

Celebrated annually on October 16, World Restart a Heart Day is dedicated to raising awareness about cardiac arrest and promoting the importance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills—skills that can significantly improve the odds of someone surviving a cardiac event.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), if performed immediately, CPR can double or triple the chance of survival from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The Hands-Only CPR approach, which involves chest compression but no mouth-to-mouth contact, is easy to learn and perform, CPR. 

Key to CPR’s success is the use of chest compressions, which works to keep blood flowing through the heart and extends the opportunity for a successful resuscitation once trained medical staff arrive on site. Compressions should be performed by using two hands and pushing hard and fast on a person’s chest at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. 

To help people maintain the appropriate rhythm and perform CPR correctly, the AHA developed a playlist to achieve the right rhythm when performing compressions. A few tunes that can help you keep pace include:

The Bee Gees’ Stayin’ Alive

Lady Gaga’s Just Dance

Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean

ABBA’s Take a Chance on Me

However, according to the National CPR Foundation, there are two key considerations to make before attempting CPR on someone:  

  • Make sure you and the patient aren’t in any danger. If possible, resolve the risk or move the patient out of harm’s way. If you are unable to do so for whatever reason, immediately call 911.

  • Check the patient to determine if they are conscious or not. Do not check for a pulse because time is of the essence and finding a pulse can take too long. Instead, call out to the patient asking, “Are you okay?” Repeat if necessary. If the patient doesn't respond, immediately call 911 or have someone nearby call, then perform CPR immediately.

The American Red Cross offers CPR training both online and in-person.

Click here to learn what options exists in your area. Or you can reach out to your local rescue squad to learn about upcoming training opportunities in your community.

 

VERMONT:
Arlington Rescue Squad

Bennington Rescue Squad

Deerfield Valley Rescue Inc

Northshire Rescue

Pownal Rescue Squad 

Stratton Mountain Rescue   

Whitingham First Response

Winhall Police & Rescue

Readsboro Fire Department

Stamford Volunteer Fire Company

 

NEW YORK

Cambridge Valley Rescue Squad

Town of Hoosick Rescue Squad

 

MASSACHUSETTS

Williamstown:

Village Ambulance Service

North Adams:

Northern Berkshire EMS

With just a few short hours of instruction and hands-on learning, you’ll walk away with the ability to potentially save someone's life. 

 

Sean Burns, MD, is the SVMC EMS Medical Director/District 12 Medical Advisor. 

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OB/GYN Care in a New Age

I am a strong believer in preventive care. Our patients are healthiest and OB/GYN physicians are most successful when we see each other at least annually and as soon as concerns arise. While this hasn't always been possible throughout the pandemic, I am happy to report that it is slowly getting easier to provide and receive care in the ways we had been used to, with a few adjustments for added safety.

I am especially concerned about patients who may have delayed care. While some concerns can safely wait a short while, putting off care in other situations may worsen the condition or the outcome. I encourage both new and returning patients to call the office to discuss resuming regular care and discussing any concerns that may have come up.

Here's what you can expect, including some of the innovative ways we are meeting patients' needs safely.

When you call the office, the receptionists will schedule an appointment for you. An easy telehealth option is great for reviewing results, developing care plans, providing contraceptive and fertility counseling, and consulting about weight management. For these purposes, the receptionist will likely recommend a televisit. It is very easy to connect and so convenient; while we love seeing you in person, we have to wonder why we haven’t been using telehealth appointments all along! Complete information about telehealth visits can be found here.

As you might expect, OB/GYN care often requires a physical examination, so many of our patient visits—including those for patients needing annual exams, testing, and therapeutic appointments—are still happening in person and in the office. The receptionists are working to stagger visits to decrease the number of people in the office at any one time.

Those coming to the office in person will notice a check-in station at the entrance to the Medical Office Building. The attendant will ask you a few questions about any symptoms you have and lend you a cloth face covering to use, if you don't have one. Wearing the mask over both your mouth and nose for your entire visit is required. For your safety and theirs, you will notice that all staff are wearing masks, too, along with either goggles or a shield. Hopefully you can still tell that we are all smiling, even under our masks!

If an outpatient elective surgical procedure is a part of your care plan, your OB/GYN and other staff will walk you through the process. A few changes, including COVID-19 testing in advance and intensified monitoring after the procedure, increases patient safety.

For those expecting to deliver a baby at SVMC, we are focused on maintaining all of the wonderful things our patients have come to expect from their experiences on the Women's and Children’s unit. Caring medical staff and nurses, individualized attention, and compassionate support are all in abundant supply.

Like when coming to the office, growing families will notice the check-in at the hospital's main entrance and staff wearing protective equipment. Our visitor’s policy indicates only one support person. We recognize that this is so challenging, and we are working to provide all of the support we can to bring your birth experience safely in line with what you had hoped, right down to the cheering support squad provided by a family via video chat during a delivery I attended earlier this week.

In the case that a family has had any exposure to COVID-19, the Women's and Children’s Unit has its own negative-pressure room. Extensive infection-prevention policies—consistent across all of the medical professionals involved with care for growing families, including OB/GYNs, pediatricians, midwives, and nurses—keep moms, babies, families, and staff safe. In fact, SVMC recently got a perfect score on a rigorous survey specifically designed to judge our infection-prevention measures.

Our ongoing commitment—pandemic or no pandemic, no matter your OB/GYN need—is to work through your concerns and deliver safe, individualized, and effective care for you. We hope that new and returning patients will call on us to help them maintain or regain their health. We are open, ready, and safe to provide the care you need.

Kimberley Sampson, MD, is the medical director of OB/GYN at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.

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