Lifesaving Lessons

Shannon is proud to partner with the American Heart Association (AHA) to continue a vital program that provides CPR training for high school students. Texas House Bill 897 of 2013 requires all graduating seniors to be trained in hands-only CPR beginning in 2015. Shannon's support of the program provides funds to purchase CPR training kits that are given to area schools as part of the AHA's CPR in Schools program. In addition, Shannon staff and the San Angelo Fire Department provide hands-on training classes at the schools to help students fulfill this requirement.

More than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of hospitals each year. About 90% of those victims don't survive, often because bystanders don't know how to start CPR or are afraid they'll do something wrong.

The AHA CPR in Schools training kit teaches students the core skills of CPR as well as AED skills and choking relief techniques. In just 30 minutes, students can learn the skills and techniques needed to save a life. The CPR in Schools program is an important initiative in the AHA's pursuit to increase the bystander rate of CPR training in Texas.

"Schools are integral parts of our communities, and teaching lifesaving CPR will help increase bystander CPR across all communities and, in turn, empower more people to act in an emergency and help save a life," says Rudy Haddad, interventional cardiologist at Shannon Clinic. "Teaching students CPR before they graduate will put qualified lifesavers in the community, year after year, and we are thrilled to be part of those efforts and continue our support of the American Heart Association."

See How You Can Get Certified!

If you don’t already know how to perform CPR, a handy infographic may help—see it at shannonhealth.com/cpr.

Learn CPR!