SCAA Press Releases

October is Sudden Cardiac Awareness Month

October 10, 2018, Sacramento, Calif. -- October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Did you know it’s also Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness month? Sudden Cardiac Arrest, or SCA, is a debilitating condition that can affect people of all ages. From infants to healthy, active teens, from adults with known heart disease to older adults, it is a truly equal opportunity affliction that claims a life every two minutes.

SCA is the leading cause of death in the United States. It takes more than 350,000 lives each year. That is more than breast cancer, lung cancer or AIDS.

The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association, in conjunction with ten other heart-focused non-profit organizations have published a fact-based webpage, www.stopcardiacarrest.org, to bring focus to this devastating condition.

“With awareness and education, SCAA and its sister organizations, strongly believe that we can and will put a significant dent in this terrible statistic,” said Josh Fischer, chair of the national non-profit SCAA. “Data shows a miserably low survival rate of 10 percent or less. However, when a patient receives lifesaving, hands-only CPR within the first three to six minutes, until an AED can be used, or EMS arrives, that survival rate will increase dramatically.”

SCAA believes everyone needs to know three steps to saving a life:

Always call 911.
Get certified. Hands-only CPR administered in the first few minutes until an AED or emergency medical arrives on scene is immensely important.
Be familiar with and know where AEDs (automatic external defibrillators) are located. These life-saving devices bring the power of the ambulance to your fingertips.

Visit www.stopcardiacarrest.org today.

About SCAA

The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA), a non-profit privately funded organization founded in 2005, mission is to broaden public access to early defibrillation. The group focuses on public awareness for SCA, its prevention and treatments for those at risk, and advocates for a wide range of issues related to SCA, including SCA survivor support through its COPE program. SCAA is privately funded through chapter-led fund-raising activities, donations and grants. For more information about SCAA or to discuss donations and grants, visit suddencardiacarrest.org. For AED supplies and survivor awards visit AEDstore.org.

Media Contact:

Josh Fischer, NRP – SCAA Board Chair jfischer@suddencardiacarrest.org 320-241-3971

Jeanne Alford-SCAA Executive Director jalford@suddencardiacarrest.org 415-971-3344

SCAA Launches New Online Store to Help Save Lives

October 4, 2018, Sacramento, Calif. – More than 350,000 people succumb to a sudden cardiac arrest each year in the United States, according to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA). This October, the organization has two messages for Americans that can significantly help to save lives: Learn and use Hands-only CPR and Make sure all buildings have working AEDs.

Sudden Cardiac Arrests (SCA) claim one life every two minutes. Anyone can experience this debilitating condition including infants, children, teens and young adults, adults in their prime with no sign of heart disease as well as older, mature adults. SCA is an “equal opportunity” condition.

“Our goal is to prevent unnecessary death from an SCA,” said Josh Fischer, chair of the national non-profit, SCAA. “We have a goal to double the survival rate, which currently is less than 10 percent. We see two factors that can significantly raise that statistic. Right now, only 32 percent of those suffering from SCA get much needed CPR in the critical first few minutes. Folks either don’t know this life saving process or are too afraid to get involved. The second factor is access to automated external defibrillators or AEDs.”

SCAA just launched an online store, AEDStore.ORG, to help businesses and organization purchase AEDs in public venues, workplaces, schools and multi-use facilities. “October is National Sudden Cardiac Awareness month—a great reminder to check AED batteries and order supplies to ensure you are ready in case an emergency happens,” Fischer said.

AEDstore.org features AED products and supplies at competitive prices from all the major AED manufacturers including Cardiac-Science, Defibtech, Heartsine, Philips, Physio-Control and Zoll. In addition to AED supplies, the store features recognition awards including pins, military/police-style bars and certificates to honor:

Survivors of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and those implanted with an internal cardioverter defibrillator (ICD);
Civilians who have helped in saving a life that would have been lost to SCA; and
Professionals such as EMS personnel who have saved such lives.

SCAA chapters actively work to build awareness about SCA and how to combat it with handsfree CPR and AED placement. They also work to raise funds to purchase AEDs for use in public places such as houses of worships, civic organization facilities, and schools. In addition, through SCAA awards, chapters recognize those who have survived this debilitating condition, those who helped to save someone suffering an SCA and those who have an internal defibrillator or ICD implant.

“We recognize that we have many choices in AED providers and, through our store—AEDstore.ORG, that’s ORG since we are a non-profit—we can continue our efforts to help those providers and SCAA achieve ubiquitous access to this lifesaving device,” said Jeanne Alford, SCAA Executive Director.

About SCAA

Media Contact:

Josh Fischer, NRP – SCAA Board Chair jfischer@suddencardiacarrest.org 320-241-3971

Jeanne Alford-SCAA Executive Director jalford@suddencardiacarrest.org 415-971-3344

THE SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST ASSOCIATION APPOINTS JEANNE
ALFORD AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
New Leadership Brings Marketing, Program Development Expertise to Position
WASHINGTON, DC — The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA) and its Board of Directors have announced
Jeanne Alford as the organization’s new executive director. Alford brings more than 20 years of experience to the position
in a broad spectrum of fields, including public relations, communications, marketing and consulting.
“Jeanne brings a unique combination of personal and professional experience, making her an excellent selection to serve
as the SCAA’s next executive director,” said Josh Fischer, chair of the SCAA Board of Directors. “We are excited to see
the future growth for SCAA and our membership with Jeanne’s vision and leadership.”
Alford assumed the position as executive director earlier in June and is currently in the process of assuming full duties
from past-executive director and SCAA co-founder, Richard Brown. Over the next several weeks, Brown and Alford will
work together to ensure a seamless transition of leadership responsibilities.
Alford has extensive experience in developing and executing marketing and awareness campaigns for organizations such
as Dolby Laboratories, Visa USA and the Semiconductor Industry Association. Her background includes public relations,
social media, issues management, crisis communications and international brand development. She currently works as an
independent senior communications consultant, coach and trainer. Additionally, sudden cardiac arrest touched Alford
personally when her sister, former SCAA chair Mary Tappe, survived SCA in 2004.
“I believe in the importance of the SCA story. It is critical to many beyond the medical community: patients, family
members, human resources and corporate safety teams to name just a few,” said Alford. “I know firsthand that the general
public may not understand SCA. Until my sister suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, we as a family did not know what SCA
was. She, thankfully, survived and we now know that SCA runs in our extended family. Thus, my personal interest in
amplifying SCA awareness and continuing the impact that the SCAA can make across the United States and beyond. I am
honored to serve as SCAA’s new executive director and helping to fulfill the organization’s mission to reduce preventable
deaths from sudden cardiac arrest.”
Alford holds a Bachelor’s degree in mass communications from the University of California – Davis. She has also
received the Gold Quill award from the International Association of Business Communicators, and is a member of the
USTA NorCal Marketing Leadership Council.
About the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association
The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA) was founded and incorporated in 2005 as an outgrowth of the pioneering
work done by the National Center for Early Defibrillation (NCED), a unit of the Department of Emergency Medicine at
the University of Pittsburgh.
Today, SCAA carries forward the original mission of NCED to broaden public access to early defibrillation and has
expanded its efforts to include public awareness of SCA, its prevention and treatments for those at risk, and advocacy for
a wide range of issues related to SCA including SCA survivor support through the COPE program.
Media Contact:
Josh Fischer, NRP - SCAA Board Chair jfischer@suddencardiacarrest.org 320-241-3971

SCAA Event

June 2014

MAINE

EMS

MED-CARE AMBULANCE

“In it for Life”

273 Main Street • Mexico, ME 04257 207-364-8748 • Fax: 207-369-0635 • med-careambulance.com

DEAN R. MILLIGAN LAURIEANN MILLIGAN CHRISTOPHER MORETTO

Director/Chief Administrative Assistant/ Outreach Coordinator Assistant Director/Assistant Chief

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE USE

Mexico, Me, Med-Care- Western Maine Affiliate of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association is pleased to announce that it has deployed an Automated External Defibrillator to a private business. Recently the device was deployed at Oxford Federal Credit Union. Med-Care is proud to be a conduit for businesses such as this to be so forward thinking and educated and caring for their employees, members, and visitors. Understanding the potential for a possible situation and being prepared to deal with it is such a powerful statement by Oxford Federal Credit Union.

Director of Community Outreach Laurieann Milligan – We are pleased to see businesses taking on this proactive approach to the safety and well being of their staff and customers. We hope it is one that will create a trend throughout the region for other businesses to follow that wish to add an additional level of security within their business. Milligan states we are proud to be serving the community in this capacity. Our mission is to be here for our residents and the overall public and now within our businesses. We are proud to be deploying these units along with the awareness training that will empower individuals to take action.

It also opened our eyes to the fact that we have not advertised and marketed AED’s to local businesses and to the fact that these devices are available for their purchase through our organization for this type of use.

This falls directly in line with our mission being part of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association as well as the Heart Safe Community program. Providing Public Education on Cardiac Arrest Risk Factors, Providing Public Education and CPR training, Deploying AED’s, and ensuring that the entire chain of survival is accomplished within our region to eliminate sudden cardiac arrest by 2020 are all part of our goals and objectives at Med-Care Ambulance.

If anyone is interested in additional information on AED’s or if they would be appropriate to consider within your business or home please feel free to give Med-Care a call and speak with Laurieann.

Director of Operations Dean Milligan - Having deployed over 150 AED’s throughout the River Valley Communities in a multitude of strategic locations it may now be time to focus on deploying them into the local businesses and large gathering facilities. Having these devices in businesses and facilities that will surely provide peace of mind and second chances at life for their employees, customers and visitors gives a great feeling of satisfaction to all of us here at Med-Care Ambulance! As our logo states we are “In it For Life”.

For more information on Sudden Cardiac Arrest please visit www.suddencardiacarrest.org

Purchasing an AED for your school, church, business, private residence call for suggestion and training opportunities

Med-Care Ambulance, Laurieann Milligan 207364-8748

www.med-careambulance.com

June 06, 2023

Five Universities Recognized as HEARTSafe CAMPUSES

March 10, 2014

The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA) Presents Awards to Heroes

at

The 21st Annual Conference National Collegiate

Emergency Medical Services Foundation (NCEMSF)

Boston, Massachusetts

Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA) Vice President Bob Schriever presented awards to student Heroes at the National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation annual meeting in Boston. The colleges and universities receiving the awards for saving one or more lives of sudden cardiac arrest victims were:Binghamton (NY) University; University of Delaware; Harvard University; George Washington University; University of Illinois; Rice University; and the University of Vermont.

Each recipient received a boxed “Save” pin, a framed “Certificate of Heroism” award, along with a framed “The Saving of a Life Story” stating the circumstances of the save, and the recipients’ name and school.

In addition to presenting the awards, SCAA maintained a booth displaying the awards which provided an opportunity for SCAA and NCEMSF members to learn more about one another’s aligned missions. As one result, a large number of individuals have signed on to become individual members and several schools have signed on to become Campus Chapters of SCAA. SCAA previously had approached the NCEMSF and asked permission to approach their membership to join SCAA as Campus Chapters. Schriever noted, “SCAA’s relationship with NCEMSF is just beginning to bloom . . . SCAA has been invited to return next year to the NCEMSF annual conference in Baltimore, MD and once again to provide the Hero awards”. Mary Tappe, the recently elected Chairperson of SCAA welcomed the new category of Campus Chapters at SCAA’s most recent Board meeting.

NCEMSF is the organization of college campus EMS services with a membership of over ten thousand students on approximately 250 campuses. SCAA is the single chapter oriented organization in the United States focusing exclusively on combating the sudden cardiac arrest crisis by eliminating preventable deaths and supporting those who have been affected.

Lisa Levine and Lois Capps

SCAA, in cooperation with the Congressional Heart & Stroke Caucus, joined other members of the SCA Coalition to host "Take a Stand Against SCA" on October 26, 2011, teaching the basics of Hands Only CPR and AED use to members of Congress and legislative aides. Commemorating October as National SCA Awareness Month, the event raised awareness of the public health crisis of SCA, CPR and use of AEDs and legislation aimed at increasing bystander intervention through public education and access to life-saving devices. An award was presented to Representative Lois Capps (D-CA) for her longtime support of heart-healthy, education and emergency response measures, including the newly introduced Teaching Children to Save Lives Act.

Lisa Levine and Phil Roe

Representative Phil Roe (R-TN) also was recognized for recently providing lifesaving assistance to a man experiencing SCA at a North Caroline airport. "AEDs are really idiot-proof," commented Roe, a former obstetrician/gynecologist now serving his second term in Congress. In addition, Dr. Ben Abella, University of Pennsylvania, Department of Emergency Medicine, Center for Resuscitation Science, and member, SCAA Medical Advisory Board, provided a medical overview explaining how government involvement is critical to reducing loss of life from SCA. The program also included SCA survivor presentations, featuring SCA survivor and AED advocate Pamela Bonin who shared her personal experience and called attention to early implementation of the chain of survival giving victims a better chance at survival.