This week, 6th District Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller was joined by Derrick Cabrera of the American Heart Association, Michael K. Lall, President and COO of AED Professionals, and 9th District Cook County Commissioner Maggie Trevor to highlight the importance of CPR/AED training. As February is American Heart Month, participants spoke about why learning CPR techniques and how to use AED devices, as well as prioritizing cardiovascular health and wellness, are so crucial to the entire community’s health and wellness.  Commissioner Miller is hosted a day-long CPR/AED training at the County building for County employees to help individuals learn how to perform life-saving intervention techniques in cardiovascular crises. Nearly 100 employees signed up to participate throughout the day. 

CPR/AED training is particularly important for African Americans and Hispanics, who are 30-50 percent less likely to have bystander CPR performed when suffering from a cardiac event than white adults. Women are also less likely to receive bystander CPR because people fear accusations of inappropriate touching, sexual assault, or injuring the person, with only 39 percent of women receiving bystander CPR in public compared to 45 percent of men and men’s chances of surviving a cardiac event are 23 percent higher than women. Having CPR initiated by a bystander when someone is suffering from cardiac arrest can almost double or triple the chances of survival. In 2022, Commissioner Miller released a report titled “Cardiovascular Health in the Southland,” which examined the impacts of location and race on cardiovascular disease survival and outcomes in suburban Cook County. To increase access, Commissioner Miller’s office also made the report available in Spanish earlier this month. 

Photo Credit: Office of Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller