Every year, hundreds of thousands of lives can be saved when ordinary people know how to respond in a cardiac emergency. This is what drives the American Heart Association’s bold goal to double survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest by the year 2030. Through education, research and community action, the organization is empowering everyday bystanders to act when seconds matter most.
As Alyson Poling, American Heart Association Greater Cincinnati Executive Director, explains, survival often depends on the actions taken before first responders arrive.
“Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of fatality,” Poling shares. “About 70 percent of the time you’ll either know who you're saving…or you’ll know the person saving you. The first person on the scene must know how to start, which means to call 911, start chest compressions and get an AED.”
The challenge is that many don’t know cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). And automated external defibrillators (AEDs) aren’t always available.
The Cincinnati area had a wake-up call three years ago. Many didn’t understand the difference between a heart attack, which is caused by a blockage, and cardiac arrest, the sudden stopping of the heart. Then Damar Hamlin collapsed during a Bengals-Bills game and we saw the trauma unfold in real time. Now an American Heart Association national ambassador, Hamlin’s rescue played out on national television and reshaped how people view the issue. CPR searches surged. Questions about AEDs poured into workplaces and schools. The country saw that survival is possible when people know what to do.
To reach the 2030 goal, the American Heart Association is convening hospitals, EMS, community groups and local leaders into one coordinated system, training people at every level.
“Every link in the chain has to get stronger,” Poling stresses, “and that only happens when everyone works together.”
The organization is also ramping up public awareness, reaching gas stations, retailers, race sign-up pages and community hotspots with how-to info. They’ve also successfully lobbied for bystander CPR to be required before Ohio high school graduation.
Like many volunteers, Poling’s passion for improving cardiac arrest outcomes is personal, following the sudden loss of her brother-in-law at age 34 during a hockey game. CPR was slow to start. The AED was locked away.
“His death was preventable,” she says. “His specific condition is now something hospitals test for at birth because of a new American Heart Association policy. That’s why this work matters. We can change outcomes.”
The American Heart Association funds more heart and stroke research than any group besides the National Institutes of Health. Nearly 9 million dollars in research funding is coming to Greater Cincinnati this year alone.
“The science tells us where to invest,” she says, “and the science keeps pointing to women.”
Women face higher risk for heart disease and stroke, yet their symptoms often get brushed aside. Poling points to Leah’s story, a local new mother who suffered a stroke at home. Her husband spotted the subtle facial droop and acted fast.
“Pregnancy raises risk, and too many women don’t get the care they need after delivery because the focus is on the baby,” she explains.
Stories like Leah’s fuel the American Heart Association's women-centered initiatives like Go Red for Women. Hard Hats with Heart focuses on men, bringing heart-health tools to construction and industrial worksites.
Despite its national presence, the American Heart Association's work is powered by local volunteers. In Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, only 17 staff members support nearly 50,000 volunteers.
“The size of the volunteer base is what makes this work possible,” Poling says.
Poling urges people to share what they learn and encourages every person to ask a simple question at work, school, church or practice: Do we have an AED, and do we know how to use it?
Reaching the 2030 goal will take a community, but it’s doable. Wear red to support women’s cardiovascular health on February 6, National Wear Red Day. Get involved in the American Heart Association’s lifesaving work—get trained, volunteer, join the Cincinnati Heart Mini-Marathon on March 15 or make a donation. Heart.org
Poling encourages every person to ask a simple question at work, school, church or practice: Do we have an AED, and do we know how to use it?