About Project Heart Restart
Project Heart ReStart was launched on May 31, 2006 at a ceremony held at Cincinnati State Community and Technical College, where 17 AEDs were given to non-profit organizations in the Greater Cincinnati area. This event represented the culmination of hard work by two groups, one representing The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati and the other by the Cincinnati USA Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class XXIX. Today, the program is a community outreach program of The Christ Hospital, Cincinnati’s Heart Hospital.
The mission of Project Heart ReStart is simple—to reduce the death rate of sudden cardiac arrest in Greater Cincinnati. We can accomplish this through the placement of AEDs throughout the region, promotion of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) training, data collection and support of other efforts to improve awareness of this catastrophic and largely preventable situation.
Statistics are sketchy, but it is believed that sudden cardiac arrest survival in the region is about five percent or less. For victims who collapse at home or in a non-health care public place, the chance of receiving bystander CPR in many communities is as low as 10-20 percent. This is important because bystander CPR, performed prior to the arrival of EMS, could help save up to 25 percent of many sudden cardiac arrest victims. We believe that we can do better.
As of today, Project Heart ReStart has provided 145 AEDs to non-profit organizations in Greater Cincinnati and provided CPR training to more than 1,200 persons. Many recipients are faith-based organizations although many other types are represented—schools, parks, social service organizations, senior centers and others. Our effort is to support placement of AEDs in locations which offer the greatest exposure to people—locations with many employees, volunteers, and/or visitors.
Funding for Project Heart ReStart comes from
generous donors throughout our community. There are a number of ways you can support Project Heart ReStart, and not all of them involve money. Please take time to check out
other ways you can support our mission.
On this Web, site you can learn more about CPR and how to use an AED. The information on this site is intended to provide a general overview, and should not be construed as a substitute for participating in an actual training class.
Fortunately, using an AED and performing CPR are not skills that you will use everyday. In fact, unless you are a professional health care provider, you are likely to only use this skill once or twice in your lifetime. Your knowledge and skill could mean a lifetime for the victim, and the victim is likely to be someone you know, such a co-worker or relative. When that time comes, will you be ready?