Emanuel Medical and Riggs Ambulance Team Up to Teach Bystander CPR

Apr 19, 2015
Turlock, CA— In just about 10 minutes, visitors to the Merced County Spring Fair in Los Banos can learn how to help save a life.

Learn CPR at Spring FairEmanuel Medical Center and Riggs Ambulance Service of Merced are teaming up to teach bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Senior Day at the Spring Fair, which is slated for  April 30.  Emanuel is the sponsor of Senior Day, on which seniors ages 55 and over can receive a $2 off fair admission coupon in the fair’s special section in the Los Banos Enterprise, Merced Sun Star or Livingston Chronicle.

“For people having a heart attack, the American Heart Association advises that hands-only CPR is just as effective as conventional CPR, and much better than no CPR,” said Riggs Education Coordinator Brian Boucher. “Riggs paramedics will be at the Emanuel booth on Senior Day, which will be located in the O’Banion Auditorium, to help people learn this simple method.”

Unlike conventional CPR, which includes breathing into a person’s mouth, bystander CPR has just two steps.  According to the American Heart Association the first step is to call 911 and next to perform steady compressions on the center of a patient’s chest.

Sue Micheletti, chief executive officer at Emanuel, said the hospital is happy to be at the Merced County Spring Fair, helping to educate about heart disease, the nation’s leading cause of death for both men and women.

“Since 2010, Emanuel has been building a quality cardiac care program, and we are the only designated heart attack receiving center between Modesto and Fresno,” she said. “For a lot of people in Merced County, we’re the closest hospital with the staff, equipment and program to provide immediate life-saving cardiac care.” 

Every fair guest who completes the short training will receive a free drawstring tote from Emanuel.  In addition, anyone who visits the booth can spin a wheel to answer heart health questions and win prizes.

About Emanuel Medical Center
Emanuel Medical Center is a 209-bed acute care hospital located in Turlock, Calif. It provides emergency, critical care, pediatric, cardiovascular services, cancer diagnosis and treatment, women’s health services and surgical services. For more information, to search for a doctor by specialty or location, or for an online symptom-checker, visit www.emanuelmedicalcenter.org.

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