Independence interns pose for a photo after becoming “CPR Ready” at an onsite training provided by the Mobile CPR Unit.
Summer interns at Independence Blue Cross (Independence) learned how to identify signs of cardiac arrest and respond with Hands-Only CPR, a life-saving skill that can be performed by anyone and significantly increase the chance of survival for a cardiac arrest victim.
The group of over 30 interns also learned about Penn Medicine’s Mobile CPR Project, which traveled to 1901 Market Street to conduct the training. The Mobile CPR Project, which is funded by the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, provides free CPR and AED training to communities throughout Philadelphia that might not otherwise have access.
The training is a part of a larger collaborative effort, called CPR Ready, to improve the outcomes of individuals who sustain cardiac arrest outside of a hospital by increasing the number of people in Philadelphia who feel prepared to respond in an emergency by performing Hands-Only CPR and using an AED.
The CPR Ready coalition includes the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the CPR/AED Public Awareness and Training Network, the Health Care Improvement Foundation, Independence Blue Cross, Independence Blue Cross Foundation, Penn Medicine, Philadelphia Fire Department, and the School District of Philadelphia.