Employers coast to coast join movement to turn bystanders into lifesavers

Nine out of 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of the hospital die, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), especially if performed immediately, can double or triple survival rates. That is why the American Heart Association, celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service, will broaden efforts to drive CPR education at the community level through the Heart Walk campaign.

Heart Walk is the Association’s largest community-based activation engaging more than 220 cities nationwide. Through the collective efforts of corporate and community participants, critical funds are raised to advance lifesaving research, increase CPR education and training while promoting equitable health for all people.

Recognizing that June 1–7 marks National CPR and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Awareness Week, the expansion of this lifesaving initiative can empower employers to become champions of CPR.

“At the American Heart Association, we are focused on being a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Through our Heart Walk initiative, we have a unique opportunity to bring critical awareness and training to communities nationwide,” said Marsha Jones, volunteer chairperson of the board of the American Heart Association (2023–2024) and the former executive vice president and chief diversity officer for The PNC Financial Services Group Inc.

“Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time and there are countless lives that can be saved if bystanders are equipped to respond effectively. The Heart Walk aims to enhance CPR training accessibility, bolster bystander preparedness, increase funding for vital research, and ultimately, save lives. We encourage every company across the nation to participate in their local Heart Walk and take a significant step towards creating a community of lifesavers.”

The year-round Heart Walk campaign engages companies to improve the health and well-being of their employees while driving efforts to fight against cardiovascular disease, the no. 1 killer in the nation. Now, participating companies will not only contribute to the fight against heart disease and stroke but also will help drive the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers movement.

The movement represents the Association’s latest investment and commitment to CPR awareness and education. The Association has set a goal to double survival rates from cardiac arrest by 2030.

“We want at least one person in every household to learn CPR,” said Joseph C. Wu, M.D., Ph.D., FAHA, current volunteer president of the American Heart Association, director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute and the Simon H. Stertzer Professor of Medicine and Radiology at Stanford School of Medicine.

“Imagine the lifesaving impact we could make if every home had a hero in waiting who was confident and ready to act in a cardiac emergency. By engaging more people in Heart Walk, we can turn our nation of bystanders into a nation of lifesavers.”

For more than six decades, the American Heart Association has led the way as the global leader in resuscitation science, education and training, and as the official publisher of the scientific guidelines for CPR.

The multi-year Nation of Lifesavers initiative supports CPR education, extends AED use and engages employers, policymakers, philanthropists and others to increase the chain of survival. The long-term goal is to ensure that in the face of a cardiac emergency, everyone, everywhere is prepared and empowered to perform CPR.