On Monday, February 25, 2013, WISER hosted the Western Pennsylvania Resuscitation Academy. The effort was coordinated by UPMC Prehospital Care in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the HeartRescue Project of Pennsylvania, and Emergency Medical Services Institute (EMSI) and the regional EMS Council for western Pennsylvania. There were participants from across Pennsylvania, representing Fire and EMS agencies.
Throughout the day, participants attended didactic sessions related to the PA Resuscitation Initiative and the HeartRescue Project as well as "High Functioning CPR Teams: Pit Crew CPR". The didactic sessions were followed by hands-on skills practice of "High Functioning CPR Teams: Pit Crew CPR" approach, with additional didactic sessions at the end of the day regarding post resuscitation care and Community Preparedness.
The City of Pittsburgh EMS crew provided a live demonstration of "High Functioning CPR Teams: Pit Crew CPR" approach and addressed questions from the audience regarding their successes utilizing this new approach.
During the lunch break, participants heard from KDKA television news anchor, Susan Koeppen, who is a cardiac arrest survivor. Ms. Koeppen spoke with the participants regarding her experiences as a survivor and her life changing story.
Pittsburgh EMS demonstrating "Pit Crew CPR"