ARLINGTON, Va. — Last month, a health researcher in the Washington, D.C., area gave CPR to a man suffering a heart attack on a local bike trail. Now he is using his experience to put a spotlight on World Restart A Heart Day on Saturday.
Bryan Buckley said he and a friend were biking when they saw a man in his late 60s drop to the ground. As a former lifeguard, he knew starting CPR quickly can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival.
“We were the first responders, and I looked to my buddy and said, ‘You call 911,'” Buckley recounted. “And then the lifeguard in me, it all came back like it was yesterday. We ended up doing CPR, switching between three of us over about 15 to 20 minutes. And you know, in many ways, that ended up saving that man’s life.”
He emphasized bystander CPR is more important than ever because research shows survival of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest has dropped by 14% in 2020 compared with about 10% the year before. Go to Heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR to find out more about learning the life-saving procedure.
The Restart a Heart initiative aims to boost bystander CPR rates worldwide by encouraging folks to learn hands-only CPR. Buckley pointed out each year, more than 350,000 Americans experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, and about 90% of them die.
“There’s also the importance of making sure that when people do call 911 that we can have the folks on the phone be able to walk people through CPR,” Buckley urged. “That’s one of the things I’ve become very passionate about.”
In 2020, the Virginia General Assembly passed a law requiring all state 911 dispatchers to complete telephone CPR education by July 2024.
The Commonwealth joins six other states, including Maryland, Louisiana and West Virginia, that require telephone CPR training for dispatchers. The American Heart Association is encouraging people to join them as advocates for this type of critical legislation in other states.
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ALAMOSA, Colo. — The Valley-Wide Ride, a transportation service introduced last year to help San Luis Valley residents get to health centers, is booking more rides than ever with the addition of two wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
Evelyn Wiant, marketing projects specialist for Valley-Wide Health Systems, said the program has been key for reducing one of the biggest barriers to care. Because the area is so spread out, getting to a doctor’s appointment can mean a 30- to 45-minute drive, each way.
“A significant portion of our patients live at or below the poverty line,” Wiant explained. “They may not have transportation of their own, or they may be elderly and unable to transport themselves.”
More than 20% of residents served by Valley-Wide live below the federal poverty level, and Wiant pointed out even if reliable public transportation was available, many residents wouldn’t be able to pay for it.
Valley-Wide was able to make its fleet wheelchair-accessible thanks in part to a grant from NextFifty Initiative, a Colorado-based private foundation.
Chandra Matthews, director of programs for the Initiative, said its Community Response Fund is designed to get dollars out quickly so organizations serving older adults have more options.
“And these funds are really designed to meet those one-time, immediate needs,” Matthews emphasized. “They did that for Valley-Wide health systems in that we helped them purchase a wheelchair-accessible vehicle.”
The Valley-Wide Ride is free, and available to anyone in the Alamosa, Monte Vista, San Luis, Antonito, and Lower Arkansas Valley area. Wiant added the service is not limited to trips to and from the health center.
“In addition to getting you to your appointment with your medical provider, we can take you to any other kind of medical appointment,” Wiant stressed. “We can also take you to destinations that are considered wellness-related. We can take you to the gym or the grocery store. We can take you to the laundromat.”
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Congress still is debating the Build Back Better reconciliation bill, and groups that fight for better health care are pressing for passage.
Notably, the bill would authorize the Department of Health and Human Services, which administers Medicare, to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs and extend those prices to private insurers, so everyone could benefit.
Yvette Brisco, a Central Valley health advocate and multiple sclerosis patient, said the change could save California consumers $6.4 billion per year.
“Prescription drug prices should not be the thing that makes you choose between whether or not you eat and whether or not you get help,” Brisco asserted.
The bill could also expand Medicare to cover dental and vision care for millions of older Americans.
Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., from Fresno, said the current system leads to a lot of suffering.
“The high prices force people to ration or stop taking their medications,” Costa observed. “[It] results in serious, serious health implications.”
The American Rescue Plan provides $1.4 billion a year to help people pay for plans on the Covered California marketplace. The Build Back Better bill could extend those subsidies.
Mark Herbert with the California Small Business Majority noted half of the people on the Covered California marketplace work for small businesses or are self-employed.
“Extending those subsidies to allow business owners to still access affordable insurance is really critical,” Herbert contended.
The nonprofit Health Access estimates without major funding in the Build Back Better bill, more than 1.4 million people on Covered California plans could see their premiums rise by up to $1,000 a year.
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HARRISBURG, Pa. — Amid staffing shortages at Pennsylvania’s long-term care facilities, there are growing fears many vulnerable older adults and their caretakers will be left to fend for themselves in the event of closures.
A recent survey of 82 operators and administrators of nursing homes, personal-care homes and assisted-living communities showed nearly 40% said they cannot afford to keep facilities open more than another year.
Many of the issues stem from a shortage of long-term care workers, who have experienced low wages and burnout during the pandemic. A majority of facilities have had to limit new admissions in the last six months as well.
Zach Shamberg, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association, which conducted the survey among its members, said the results are alarming.
“They are being forced to turn potential residents away because they don’t have enough workers to care for those new residents and to continue providing care,” Shamberg observed. “In one of the oldest states, in terms of our population, that should be a real concern for every single Pennsylvanian.”
Wages in Pennsylvania long-term care facilities vary, with registered nurses making an average of $37 an hour and certified nursing assistants making an average of $15 an hour.
For respondents of the survey, more than 80% said maintaining a workforce is their biggest challenge.
Shamberg pointed out one of the issues facing facility operators is 70% of care in state nursing homes is paid for by Medicaid. However, costs have risen while Medicaid reimbursement rates remain stagnant.
“That Medicaid reimbursement allows them to provide care, but it also allows them to increase wages, to offer benefits,” Shamberg explained. “And until we see a meaningful investment from state leaders, we won’t be able to then invest in our workers.”
Reimbursement rates fall short by an estimated $50 per day, according to the association. Shamberg noted another way for Pennsylvania to save long-term care in the state is by passing legislation to cut some red tape and regulatory hoops that hamper entering a career in the industry.
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