I read an article in The Hornell Evening Tribune by Tyler Briggs (Sun Feb 21, 2010) that Steuben County, compared to the rest of New York’s counties, “ranks right near the bottom, 60th out of 62, in terms of overall health behaviors. The report said 31 percent of adults in our county smoke, above the state average of 20 percent. According to the report, 28 percent of adults in the county are obese, a two-percent larger margin than the statewide average”, and it goes on.
Many of the mentioned indicators contribute to heart disease and early deaths. At least 300 Steuben County residents a year die of a sudden onset cardiac arrest, a heart attack, in their home, at work, or during recreational activities. One does not have to eat too much; drink too much; or smoke too much to have a heart attack.
Rural Health Community Systems, Inc., the American Heart Association, and the Greater Steuben Chapter of the American Red Cross have just launched the “10,000 Links in the Chain of Survival,” project. It is a three-year program to train 10,000 Steuben County residents in CPR - that is 10 percent of the county’s residents. A massive undertaking but RHCS is confident in the program’s success.
Sudden Cardiac arrest can be survived with a tightly linked sequence of care, the “Chain of Survival.” That chain is: “Call 911, Early CPR, Early AED (Automatic External Defibrillator), and early advanced care, EMT-CC & Paramedics. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Early CPR by citizens is essential before Emergency Medical Services can arrive.
The Rural Health Community Systems Partners, the Greater Steuben Chapter of the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association, and EMS agencies and other organizations– will be offering training at sites across the county. Please go to the 10000 Links website at: WWW.10000LINKScpr.ORG or call 607 794-0759 for more information.
In under an hour you can learn the skills to save a life! It could be your family member, your friend or even a stranger - become a Link in the 10,000 Links in the Chain of Survival in Steuben County.
Art Jones
Paramedic at Rural Health Community Systems
