Save MO Hearts is a free MU Health Care outreach program that teaches the public how to perform hands-only CPR on someone experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Missouri, according to the CDC and the American Heart Association. In the U.S., the survival rate after a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is less than 10%. After a person collapses, their survival rate shrinks by 10% for every minute CPR is not performed.
Save MO Hearts aims to improve those numbers through group trainings and education. If you would like to schedule a training session for your group, please submit the form below.
Learn to Act
Save MO Hearts empowers you to take action before emergency responders arrive. If you see someone collapse, you can be the person to act first and offer help. With education and instruction on what to do in this situation, you can take action and save lives.
If you witness someone collapse:
- See if the person responds to your words or touch, and check if they're breathing normally.
- If they aren't breathing normally, tell someone to call 9-1-1
- Point to another person and tell them to find an automated external defibrillator (AED), if there is one.
- Begin CPR and continue until help arrives or the patient begins to respond. Don't stop until either occurs.
- Once you have an AED, turn it on and listen to the instructions.
If you are alone, and no other bystanders are able to help:
- Call 9-1-1 first. Put the dispatcher on speakerphone, if available, and begin CPR until help arrives.
- Push hard and fast. That's all that matters — fast, hard chest compressions are the best way to resume a heartbeat.
Events
Save MO Hearts offers free training in hands-only CPR at events throughout the year. Check back for future events.
Community Partnerships
MU Health Care and Boone County Joint Communications work together to educate and equip the public with tools to improve the odds of survival for those who experience a heart attack or cardiac arrest.
Boone County Joint Communications adopted PulsePoint, which is a free-to-download mobile application designed to notify users when someone nearby is experiencing cardiac arrest. If the emergency is in a public place, the application will alert trained citizens while simultaneously dispatching emergency crews to the location. The application also directs bystanders to the exact location of the closest public AED.
