On July 10, Southwell held its first community hands-only CPR class at Phlawless Barber Shop in downtown Tifton. Offered free to area residents, hands-only CPR is a simplified form of CPR using chest compressions and no mouth-to-mouth breaths.
“According to the American Heart Association, hands-only CPR carried out by a bystander has been shown to be as effective as CPR with breaths in the first few minutes during an out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest for an adult victim,” said Jill Dowers McIntyre, RN, Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Wellness for Southwell. “For those who suffer a cardiac arrest outside of the hospital, the chance of survival is less than 10 percent. Brain damage can occur in four minutes and for every minute without CPR, the chance of survival goes down by 10 percent.”
McIntyre said the goal is a simple one: to save as many lives as possible.
“The hands-only CPR is a free course designed for anyone who desires potentially life-saving hands-on practical experience in chest compression-only CPR,” she said. “Southwell will be holding more courses at select community locations in the future.”
McIntyre added that organizations or businesses interested in a free hands-only CPR class can click HERE to complete an online request form.
“Our goal is to bring these classes directly to the community using a grass-roots approach,” said McIntyre. “This is a collaborative effort between Tift Regional Medical Center’s Heart and Vascular Center, Southwell’s Learning and Development Department, Southwell Medical Community Health Center, and the Southwell Diversity Council.”
