Merry Christmas!

During this season of thanksgiving,, we are especially thankful for our loyal customers and grateful for a team that  represents us so well.  In 2018, Heartland CPR celebrated 15 years in business and we were honored to share the celebration with a few special customers that go back many, many years and have been witness to our growth over the years.  During the month of December, we are offering gift certificates which can be used for training, first aid kits (four sizes available as well as a pet-specific kit), or any emergency supplies that we stock at 10% off face value, good through 2020…the perfect gift for the nurse, EMT, babysitter, grandparent, or new parents on your Christmas list!  For the really difficult to buy for, consider the  life-saving gift of an AED from the entire family!  We can help with all that and, really, what other gift will still be giving for a lifetime moreso than something that has the potential to save the life of a loved one?

Since 2003, Heartland CPR, llc (formerly Custom Training Solutions) has been providing AHA training in CPR, AED use, First Aid, BLS (Basic Life Support) Provider, ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support) and PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support). At the request of our customers, in 2013, we began selling several affordable, quality brands of AEDs and accessories as well as adding a variety of well-stocked first aid kits and emergency supplies;. In 2014, we introduced our “STAT Program”, allowing healthcare professionals to obtain or renew certification in multiple disciplines in a couple of days using sequential scheduling, discount packages, and by partnering with a nearby luxury hotel that offers a corporate rate to our customers who need to stay overnight, and we added “The PET (Pet Emergency Training) Project” to our class lineup.  We began 2015 in a new suite decorated like an antique medical museum with a full-time office staff assisting our customers during 10-4 business hours in addition to our team of instructors teaching varied shifts virtually 24/7; additionally we began offering a free First Aid + CPR class using our equipment and expertise to teach life-saving skills to those wishing to learn for their own peace of mind but not in need of an official, costly AHA certification.  We volunteered to be first in this region when AHA introduced the option for e-cards in early 2018, eliminating lost/damaged cards which are costly to replace and that has been well-received by our customers. We firmly believe that doing what everyone else does gets you what everyone else gets, so we set out from the beginning and continue to do things differently than the rest…from straight-forward, all-inclusive pricing and issuing immediate certifications to how we go about selecting the instructors that represent us.

What began as a small home business with husband and wife instructors is now a registered, small woman-owned business with an A+ rating which has been recognized by the BBB as the 2014 Torch Award winner for the small business category in the OKC area and has received multiple “Best of OKC” awards”. We have hundreds of positive reviews on virtually every online forum and social media platform averaging 5 stars across all channels.  Heartland CPR’s owner, Ginger Davis, participated in the SBA’s “Emerging Leaders”program alongside the best and brightest CEOs in the state of Oklahoma, while Brian Davis was recognized as a “Dinosaur of EMS” for his longevity in emergency medicine, having served in virtually every capacity and agency in the OKC metro EMS system during his 30+ year career.  We continue to add outstanding instructors to our team based on character traits that embody Heartland CPR’s mission and vision; we are proud to retain some of the most respected professionals in their fields who have been saving lives for decades and together boast of combined training and instruction expertise of over 90 years!

We invite you to visit our website www.HeartlandCPR.com to learn more, contact us to schedule the next training session for your group or inquire about adding a life-saving AED to your business, church, club, organization, or home. We sincerely appreciate the trust you’ve placed in us, and thank you for your continued support!  It has been our sincere pleasure to be your choice for American Heart Association related training. Whether we provide training at your location or you refer individuals to classes held at ours, please know that you have played a part in our growth and success. There is perhaps no better time to say a heartfelt “thank you” to each of you than during this holiday season as we reflect on the blessings we have been entrusted with.

Wishing you a blessed Christmas and a prosperous year ahead!

#giftcertificate #smallbusiness #cpr #aha

What Sets Us Apart From the Rest of the Pack?

Heartland CPR has become the training choice for quality American Heart Association training in Oklahoma.  We've been in business since 2003 and celebrate a couple of decades of serving Oklahoma with excellence and integrity.  

We are proud of the painstaking process we use to carefully select and retain the absolute best and brightest minds in EMS on our staff of AHA Instructors, and then spend a good deal of time training each of them on the methodology that has made us so successful.  Together our team of instructors have in excess of 100 years of experience teaching AHA course materials.  You're in good hands with Heartland CPR!

#experience #instructors #smallbusiness #cpr #aha

- Ginger Davis
Heartland CPR, llc
405-603-6666
www.HeartlandCPR.com

October is SCA Awareness Month

The month of October is recognized as Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness month.  The AHA and SCAFoundation publish statistics related to SCA in the US which many find surprising.  "Among adults treated by EMS, 25% had no symptoms before the onset of arrest."  While SCA is more common among adults...and more commonly in need of a shock from an AED...than children, it can happen at any time anywhere to anyone.  Consider how often it happens at home or with bystanders present in a public setting and make sure you're prepared with the knowledge skills, (and AED if indicated) to help save a life!

Adults

• Estimates suggest the incidence of OHCA among adults is 347,322.
• Overall, survival to hospital admission after EMS-treated non-traumatic cardiac OHCA was 29%, with higher survival rates in public places (39.5%) and lower survival rates in homes/residences (27.5%) and nursing homes (18.2%)
• Survival to hospital discharge was 10.8% among adults (9% with good neurological function).
• Large regional variations in survival to hospital discharge (range, 3.4%-22%) and survival with functional recovery (range, 0.8%-20.1%) are observed in 132 counties in the U.S. Variations in the rates of layperson CPR explained much of this variation.
• Among adults treated by EMS, 25% had no symptoms before the onset of arrest.
• The majority of OHCA’s occur at a home or residence (68.5%), followed by public settings (21%) and nursing homes (10.5%).
• Cardiac arrest was witnessed by a bystander in 37% of cases, and an EMS provider in 12% of cases. For 51% of cases, the collapse was not witnessed.
• Among EMS-treated OHCA patients, 19.8% had an initial rhythm (Ventricular Fibrillation or Ventricular Tachycardia) that is shockable by an automated external defibrillator (AED).
• Among 10.9 million registered participants in 40 marathons and 19 half-marathons, the overall incidence of cardiac arrest was 0.54 per 100,000 participants. Those with cardiac arrests were more often male and were running a marathon versus a half-marathon. Among runners with cardiac arrest, 71% died; those who died were younger (39+9) than those who survived 49+10).

Children

• Estimates suggest the incidence of EMS-assessed OHCA among children (<18 years of age) is 7,037.
• Survival to hospital discharge was 10.7% among children (8.2% with good neurological function).
• The location of EMS-treated OHCA was at home for 89.5% of children <1 years old, 77% of children 1-12 years old, and 72.9% for children 13-18 years old.
• The most common causes of SCD among young athletes are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (36%), coronary artery abnormalities (19%), myocarditis (7%), arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (5%), coronary artery disease (4%), and commotio cordis (3%).
• The incidence of SCD was 0.24 per 100,000 athlete years in high school athletes screened every three years between 1993 and 2012 in Minnesota.
• The incidence of non-traumatic OHCA was 1 per 43,770 athlete participant-years among students 17-24 years old participating in NCAA sports from 2004-2008. The incidence of cardiac arrest was higher among blacks than among whites and among males than among females.

Risks

• A family history of cardiac arrest in a first-degree relative is associated with an ~2-fold increased risk of cardiac arrest.
• According to 2017 figures from the CDC, SCD appears among the multiple causes of death on 13.5% of death certificates, which suggests that 1 of every 7.4 people in the U.S. will die of SCD. Among adults, the risk of SCD increases exponentially with age.

Trends

• Unadjusted survival to hospital discharge after EMS-treated OHCA increased from 10.2% in 2006 to 12.4% in 2015.
• Rates of layperson-initiated CPR and layperson use of AEDs have increased over time. In 2016, laypersons initiated CPR in 40.7% of cases (up from 36.5% in 2006). Laypersons used AEDs in 5.7% of cases (up from 3.2% in 2006).

Complications

• Survivors of cardiac arrest experience multiple medical problems including impaired consciousness and cognitive deficits. As many as 18% of OHCA survivors have moderate to severe functional impairment at hospital discharge. Functional recovery continues over the first six to 12 months after OHCA in adults.

Healthcare Utilization and Cost

• The estimated societal burden of SCD in the U.S. was 2 million years of potential life lost for males and 1.3 million potential life lost for females, accounting for 40-50% of the years of potential life lost from all cardiac diseases.
• Among males, estimated deaths attributed to SCD exceeded all other individual causes of death, including lung cancer, accidents, chronic lower respiratory disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer.

Awareness and Treatment

• The median annual CPR training rate for U.S. counties was 2.39%, based on data from the AHA, American Red Cross and the Health & Safety Institute, the largest providers of CPR training in the U.S. The prevalence of reported current CPR training was 18%, and the prevalence of having CPR training at some point was 65%. Training rates were lower in rural areas, areas with high proportions of black or Hispanic residents, and counties with lower median household incomes.

Future Research

• The absence of standards for monitoring and reporting the incidence and outcomes of cardiac arrest remains a barrier to population research in the U.S. Increasing the rigor of reporting cardiac arrest will improve understanding of the epidemiology of this syndrome.

- ORIGINAL SOURCE: American Heart Association;
Summary compiled by Mary Newman, MS,
Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation

#sca #suddencardiacarrest cpr #smallbusiness #cpr #aha

- Ginger Davis

Heartland CPR, llc

405-603-6666

www.HeartlandCPR.com

Female Victims

Did you know that women are 27% less likely to receive CPR than men?  This is due in part to an outdated system, and it's simply not okay.  Even when there are many potential rescuers who have been trained in CPR, those trainees only see male manikins/actors in their training courses so they aren't prepared or know how to respond when face with a live victim with breasts.  "Where do I put my hands?", "Do I remove the bra or not?", "Will I get in trouble for touching a female?"...these are just some of the questions we are asked on daily basis.  At Heartland CPR, we're committed to ensuring our students walk away with the skills needed to save anyone.  We are also a group of folks that love thinking outside the box and coming up with unlikely solutions to these type of problems.

Introducing a solution you will find only when you train with Heartland CPR!  We have a seamstress in the family and set out to create something that allows us to make half our manikins females...and we're pretty darn proud of what we came up with.  When we first introduced these earlier this week on social media, much to our surprise, other CPR instructors were interested in buying overlays for their own manikins.

This and so much more is what sets Heartland CPR apart from the rest of the pack.  Going above and beyond in every way.  Finding new and innovative ways to make learning fun and realistic for our customers.  Yes, you can probably find a class cheaper...but in this business, you may just get what you pay for!

 #smallbusiness #cpr #aha

- Ginger Davis
Heartland CPR, llc
405-603-6666
www.HearftlandCPR.com

Infant Choking

One of the skills you learn in CPR and First Aid training is what to do in the event of choking.  When the victim in an infant, under the age of one year old, the steps differ from what you would do to help an older victim.  Let Whitney guide you through the simple steps to help an infant victim and you'll be prepared when the unexpected happens!

Click to watch how to do:  Infant Choking

Watch for more fun, informative videos in coming weeks.  And, should you need First Aid and/or CPR certification with the AHA, come see us!

#choking #infantchoking #firstaid #aed #smallbusiness #cpr #aha

- Ginger Davis

Heartland CPR, llc

405-603-6666

www.HeartlandCPR.com

Hands-Only CPR

Whitney is at it again!  She's walking and talking you through something everyone needs to know...Hands-Only CPR.  When you don't have access to a barrier device and the victim isn't family or someone you want to put your mouth on, you can still help.  This is the single most important thing you can do to save a life until EMS help arrives.  And it's so easy!

Find us on YouTube or click here:  Hands-Only CPR

Watch for more fun, informative videos to come from Heartland CPR.  Thanks for watching and sharing!

#handsonlycpr #smallbusiness #cpr #aha

- Ginger Davis

Heartland CPR, llc

405-603-6666

www.HeartlandCPR.com

First Aid Basics

Our awesome instructor Whitney and our IT expert Devin teamed up to created a fun, informative video to help you be prepared for simple skills everyone needs to know to deal with emergencies when they happen!

Find us on YouTube or click here:  First Aid Basics

You never know when a first aid emergency will happen involving a family member, friend, coworker, or even stranger you cross paths with.  Prepare now for the unexpected.  If you need a first aid kit or other other emergency supplies, Heartland CPR can help with that too!

#firstaid #smallbusiness #cpr #aha

- Ginger Davis
Heartland CPR, llc
405-603-6666
www.HeartlandCPR.com

WALK Your Way To Better Health!

Who knew that walking only 30 minutes, 5 days a week can significantly improve your health and well-being?

#walk #health #smallbusiness #cpr #aha

- Chelsea Hixson
Heartland CPR, llc
405-603-6666
www.HeartlandCPR.com

Updating Your Emergency Contact Card

If you're been in one of our classes over the past several years chances are you've met our instructor Whitney.  She is an absolute delight...so bubbly and approachable and downright hilarious.  She also has a past that includes doing some promo work for Poison Control, radio spots, and other public appearances because her personality is so perfect for this type of thing (not to mention that she was once a nationally ranked gymnast, but I'm getting offtrack...).

Whitney and our IT/Marketing pro Devin have been working together on a series of videos on common things that people can do to be better prepared in the event of an emergency.  The first of those videos has been posted and we'd love for you to share it on your social media channels to help others take these easy steps which could be a lifesaver in an actual emergency.

Find us on YouTube or click here:  https://youtu.be/gzG0ZNh-9Nk

Watch for more fun, informative videos to be released soon!

#emergency preparation #smallbusiness #cpr #aha

- Ginger Davis
Heartland CPR, llc
405-603-6666
www.HeartlandCPR.com

ACLS & PALS Discussion Groups

ACLS is hard!  PALS is stressful!  We get it.  We hear ya'.  That's why we have created ACLS and PALS discussion boards on Facebook for our followers and customers to ask questions and get answers from our team of instructors, review helpful tools we post to assist with retention of information, and have a safe place to discuss these complex disciplines.  We do moderate these groups so spam isn't allowed in or tolerated.  For this reason, you have to request to join, we approve the request right away, and then you're live with the other participants.  Join us over here and post away:

ACLS: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ACLSmessageboard/

PALS: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PALSmessageboard/

This is just one more thing Heartland CPR does for its customers to make learning live-saving skills a little easier.

#acls #pals #smallbusiness #cpr #aha

- Ginger Davis
Heartland CPR, llc
405-603-6666
wwwHeartlandCPR.com

CPR Saves Lives

Nothing is more exciting for us than hearing stories of how our customers have used their training to save a family member, friend, customer, coworker or stranger.  With CPR week upon us, we like to recognize those efforts that our customers have told us about over the past year.

“Excellent class.  I recommend it to everyone.  Mike is an ideal instructor.  His experience from both perspectives is unique.  Saving and being saved by CPR, gives his message a great deal of power.   Very well done.     I’m now officially ready to begin my new career with the Keystone Ski Patrol.  Thanks Mike...” - Blake Wright, October 2018

Blake took a Heartsaver First Aid/AED/CPR class with us this past October 2018 as preparation for a new position as Ski Patrol in Colorado.  He left a great review complimenting his instructor Michael immediately following his class which we always appreciate...but the really exciting part came weeks later.  In March 2019, Blake reached back out to us to relay the following story:

"Mike I want to thank you for the passion you put into your CPR training. Just 1 day after turning red as a ski Patroller, I was called to the scene of a heart attack patient with cpr in progress. When I arrived I took over chest compressions and our ALS provider started placing an airway. We shocked the patient 7 times and after nearly 20 minutes unresponsive,the heart started. We skied them down and loaded on a helicopter and the patient lived after a 5 way bypass. They attributed patients survival to immediate high quality compressions which were initiated before I arrived by a nurse who was riding with patient. Thanks to your excellent instruction I was confident and prepared for the task. Thank you. It’s one of the highlights of my life. Very cool.” - Blake Wright, March 2019 

We are so honored that Blake chose Heartland CPR for his training needs but even more grateful that he took the time to share with us his experience using his training to assist in saving a life.  This is what it's all about and why we do what we do, with passion, day in and day out.  To commemorate Blake's assistance in the saving of a life, we are sending him a "Heartsaver Hero" pin and certificate to display this achievement.  

Take a CPR class, renew your skills, download the PulsePoint app, or take the next step to save someone's life!  That someone could be your family member or friend, customer or colleague, or even a stranger...they're all equally appreciative when they get a second chance at life and you could play a part in that.  Happy CPR Week!

#heartsaver #hero #cprweek #smallbusiness #cpr #aha

- Ginger Davis

Heartand CPR, llc

405-603-6666

www.HeartlandCPR.com

Flashback: Saving the Day, Heartland Stands Tall (Oklahoma's Nursing Times May 2019)

Being there when it matters the most has always been a rule in the Davis household. From nurses to firefighters, Devin Davis saw it all around him growing up. It’s no wonder the family business revolves around keeping those front line professionals on the front lines when it matters the most. Davis is a driving force behind Heartland CPR, a business his mother and father began more than 15 years ago. The Davis family has built Heartland CPR into a successful business that revolves around providing life- saving skills in a fun, friendly environment.

Devin Davis and his family help nurses stay on the floor with their flexible certification courses.  Heartland CPR offers courses in CPR, AED,First Aid, Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) as well the addition of Pet First Aid + CPR.

Flexibility and customer service drive Heartland. Devin’s mother, Ginger, coordinates with individual travel nurses and travel nursing agencies who appreciate that Heartland provides training in multiple disciplines in a single weekend. Heartland even partners with nearly hotels to offer discount accommodations to out-of-town overnight customers. But that’s what Heartland specializes in, getting medical professionals the training and documentation they need when they need it. One in-demand course is the S.T.A.T. program which stands for Sequentially Timed Accelerated Training. Nurses can renew the entire BLS, ACLS and PALS certification suite in a weekend. Despite the demand, classes are limited to 10 people each. It’s a Heartland tenet to ensure the quality of the training and the ability for students to ask questions and truly grasp the material. To keep up, Heartland simply adds more classes. And the company’s ability to deliver training wherever the client needs it has made Heartland a nurse favorite. From doctors to dental assistants to oil field companies, Heartland can put together a training package that fits the need.

Heartland has also become a leading supplier of AED equipment to local businesses, covering both training and equipment sales. Devin dove deep into the family business, understanding the why as well as the how behind life-saving skills. Not only did he enjoy teaching, he enjoyed what he was teaching. “I like to make sure people understand the science behind it,” Davis said of the CPR classes he teaches. “You’d be shocked at how many people who don’t understand – especially ones first going into EMT or nursing school – the basic principles of CPR and what we’re actually doing. They know how to do it, they just don’t know we’re trying to fill that heart up with blood and pump that oxygenated blood into the brain and then back down to the heart.” Along the way he’s learned how to reach students that range from 18 to 80-year-olds.

#oklahomasnursingtimes #ont #nurses #smallbusiness #cpr #aha

- Ginger Davis
Heartland CPR, llc
405-603-6666
www.HeartlandCPR.com

How To Tell If Someone Needs CPR

Knowing the steps to perform CPR and actually having to give it quite another story. A fear that many bystanders share is performing CPR on someone that doesn’t require it. Due to the suddenness of the collapse, the rescuer is not 100% sure that the victim is actually in cardiac arrest. It is always better to preform CPR on someone who does not need it, than to not start CPR on a victim who does. When in doubt, start CPR!

When we are teaching CPR, the first step after checking the scene to make sure it is safe for the rescuer, is to check the victim for a response or breathing. Checking for signs of life is simple, begin taping firmly on the victim’s shoulders and in a loud voice ask, “Are you ok, are you ok?”.  If there are no signs of life it is safe to assume that the victim needs CPR. A conscious person will react in some way, some of these are, they will attempt to blink, move, or have a facial expression. It’s important to remember that “gasping” is NOT breathing. Breathing means when the victim’s chest moves up and down rhythmically. As a first responder it is important to assess the victim. In the case of checking for signs of life in an infant you will need to tickle or tap the soles of the feet. If someone is nearby ask him or her to call 911 and ask for an AED (automated external defibrillator)!  If you the rescuer are alone call 911, the easiest and best way is to put it on speakerphone and begin preforming CPR! 

There are only three reasons to ever stop CPR once you have begun.

·     Keep preforming CPR until further help arrives

·     Victim wakes up

·     You are too exhausted to continue

At Heartland CPR we are determined to spread the word on how to preform CPR. We offer the community free CPR class without AHA certification, so maybe one day you can save someone’s life. Please feel free to give us a call or shoot us any email if you like to join our scheduled free class or if you would like to join one our many AHA certification classes. 

#handsonlycpr #aed #911 #smallbusiness #cpr #aha

- Chelsea Hixson

Heartland CPR, llc

405-603-6666

www.HeartlandCPR.com

Need Additional Help Getting Ready for ACLS or PALS?

Do you feel like you need additional education to be ready for ACLS or PALS?  

At the request of several customers, we have developed a class for that!  Our instructor breaks it down in an easy-to-understand manner like they are known for.  Take advantage of this rare opportunity to get off on the right foot!  This class is especially suited to those who are now being required to take ACLS and/or PALS but don’t have the background or education basis to build upon really needed for those classes such as dental assistants, hygienists, EMTs, or those just entering the field and wanting to gain confidence before jumping into those advanced disciplines.  

We will spend time devoted to identification or rhythms and the pharmacology of cardiac drugs. Taken before ACLS or PALS Provider classes, this course positions those who feel weak in those common areas of concern to feel confident alongside others in the field and other participants at ACLS and PALS training. We have developed written material for participants which will not only be beneficial for this class but also for eventual ACLS/PALS training as well as future reference…an added bonus is that you’ll enjoy 10% off your additional classes with us.  Don't miss out on this rare opportunity!

Don't miss out on this rare opportunity to slowly wade into the ACLS and/or PALS waters with this scaled back, low stress into class!

#acls #pals #smallbusiness #cpr #aha

- Ginger Davis

Heartland CPR, llc

405-603-6666

www.HeartlandCPR.com