In recognition of February’s American Heart Month, William Newton Hospital hosted its second annual free community-wide CPR certification event Feb. 8-10 at Baden Square in Winfield with support from Cowley College Allied Health, Udall Fire, USD 465 Nursing Services, and Winfield Fire/EMS Department.
According to a press release from WNH Wednesday, 108 individuals learned the basics of adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), infant CPR, automated external defibrillator (AED) operation, and NARCAN® administration, a naloxone nasal spray approved as an over-the-counter opioid overdose treatment. Community members and healthcare providers received CPR certification from the American Heart Association.
“Many people think it is too hard to do CPR or that they will hurt a person doing CPR,” William Newton Hospital Interim ICU Manager and CPR Instructor Barbara Humpert said. “I ask anyone, ‘Would you rather do nothing in an emergency or do something?’
“Feeling guilty after a medical emergency is a burden I do not wish on any person.”
Humpert has worked in different roles at the hospital for several decades and has helped educate hospital staff and the community in basic life support CPR, WNH said.
“I was impressed with the number of people who showed up and cared enough to take the class,” Humpert said. “I saw healthcare workers, childcare providers, volunteers, retired people, teachers, and all ages (including) an 8-year-old young lady who was really impressive.”
Darby, the young girl Humpert referenced, is the daughter of William Newton Hospital Emergency Department Manager Cassie Stein, BSN, RN, EMT, and accompanied her mother to the class.
“CPR is easy enough my eight-year-old can do it,” Stein said. “We want to empower everyone to learn these life-saving skills. When minutes matter, acting quickly can mean the difference between life and death.”
The event was among the programs implemented by the William Newton Healthcare Foundation’s Beats Go On community wellness initiative aimed at providing wellness education and fostering collaborative partnerships, the hospital said.
Paula Radcliff, a local rancher and business owner who served for 27 years as an emergency medical technician at WNH, is the Beats Go On co-chair alongside William Newton Hospital Clinical Education/Professional Development Coordinator Melanie Burnett, MSN, RN.
Radcliff’s contributions enabled participants to get certified at no cost, according to the hospital.
“Mel has done amazing work,” Radcliff said. “I am impressed by how much she and the committee have been able to do and how much the community has benefitted through these Beats events.”
WNH says Radcliff has embarked on a volunteer role to assist the hospital’s strategic plans to address emergency care through expanded programs, collaborative programming, and expansion of services and facilities.
The “Stop The Bleed” program will be released this summer, where a critical mass of community members will be trained on how to effectively control life-threatening bleeding.
“These examples exemplify the type of commitment rural communities need and greatly benefit from,” Radcliff said.
Humpert thanked event volunteers, instructors from the hospital, fire/EMS, and schools, and Radcliff as an underwriter.
“I am grateful to Paula for providing this opportunity,” Humpert said. “Our community is a safer place to live with all the people who cared enough to take the class.”
WNH offers monthly CPR classes for healthcare providers and the public, which typically cost $30 for non-hospital employees, the hospital said. The next regular CPR certification class is scheduled for Tuesday, March 26. To reserve a seat, register online with William Newton Hospital at www.wnhcares.org/cpr. For more information, contact Burnett at 620-222-6254.
To learn more about the Beats Go On community wellness initiative and other upcoming events, visit www.wnhcares.org/foundation/2ndcentury/beats.
