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June 1, 2015 Calley McGehee Herth

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American Heart Association Keeps the Beat A Capella Style for CPR Awareness Week

Funding from Anthem Foundation Propels Campaign and Mobile Tour Forward to Save Lives

OKLAHOMA CITY – In only one minute, you can learn how to save a life. Trust us, it’s worth your time, because 70 percent of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen at home, so the life you save is likely to be someone you know and love.

June 1-7 is National CPR and AED Awareness week. The American Heart Association is using these seven days to raise awareness about the importance of CPR, and reminding people anyone can learn Hands-OnlyTM CPR in about the same amount of time it takes to brush your teeth. Hands-Only CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival. It only takes a minute to learn Hands-Only CPR become prepared for an emergency.

The American Heart Association developed a new Hands-Only™ CPR music-based training video, with funding from the Anthem Foundation, designed to showcase the simplicity and lifesaving benefits of Hands-Only CPR. The video features the wildly-talented a capella group, Street Corner Symphony, and is available today at www.heart.org/handsonlycpr.

Viewers will learn the two simple steps to Hands-Only CPR: 1) If you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, call 9-1-1; and 2) Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the rate of at least 100 beats per minute, the beat of the classic Bee Gees’ hit “Stayin’ Alive.” The video features stars Street Corner Symphony harmonizing to this iconic song and challenges everyone to #KeepTheBeat. Watch it. Share it. Be prepared to act in any emergency.

“Music has been a fundamental tool with which AHA educates people on the rhythm needed to save a life with Hands-Only CPR, at least 100 beats per minute,” said Alson Inaba, MD, longtime AHA volunteer, and the doctor who came up with the concept of using “Stayin’ Alive” to teach and remember the proper rate of chest compressions. “With the rising popularity of a capella music, we’re thrilled that Street Corner Symphony has helped us create a dynamic and memorable video that will help more people confidently take action in an emergency.”

Amy Steelman’s daughter survived accidental drowning in 2010 because of the fast actions of her mother, who learned CPR as a high school student.

“Because of CPR, two toddlers, one being my daughter, survived drowning,” said Steelman. “Bystander CPR is a primary factor in increasing survival rates. Teaching CPR skills changes a community’s health and creates generations of lifesavers.”

For the past three years, the American Heart Association and Anthem Foundation have been working to educate millions of Americans about Hands-Only™ CPR. The campaign and mobile tour have educated over three million consumers in the lifesaving skill with the goal of preparing people to save the lives of perfect strangers or those they love most.

To learn more about the Hands-Only CPR campaign and learn how to save a life visit www.heart.org/handsonlycpr or facebook.com/AHACPR.

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Anthem Foundation
The Anthem Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Anthem, Inc. and through charitable contributions and programs, the Foundation promotes the inherent commitment of Anthem, Inc. to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and families in communities that Anthem, Inc. and its affiliated health plans serve. The Foundation focuses its funding on strategic initiatives that address and provide innovative solutions to health care challenges, as well as promoting the Healthy Generations Program, a multi-generational initiative that targets specific disease states and medical conditions. These disease states and medical conditions include: prenatal care in the first trimester, low birth weight babies, cardiac morbidity rates, long term activities that decrease obesity and increase physical activity, diabetes prevalence in adult populations, adult pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations and smoking cessation. The Foundation also coordinates the company’s year-round Associate Giving program which provides a 50 percent match of associates’ pledges, as well as its Volunteer Time Off and Dollars for Doers community service programs. To learn more about the Anthem Foundation, please visit http://www.anthem.foundationand its blog at http://anthemfoundation.tumblr.com.

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Editor’s Note:

Followingare the URL and embed codes for the American Heart Association's Hands-Only CPR assets:

Training Video

URL: http://www.Heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR

Embed Code: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HjKeTo3c2wM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen</iframe