Feb. 23, 2019

By Claire Tadokoro
Tribune Reporter

Fans got more than an entertaining varsity basketball game experience on February 15 between Lee’s Summit North and Blue Springs High. During the halftime period, Lee’s Summit North, Lee’s Summit Medical Center, and Lee’s Summit Fire Department educated attendees on how to perform CPR.

Medical experts, LSN administrators, cheerleaders, Lee’s Summit Fire Department, and even some fans teamed up to teach the community the proper first steps in saving a life beginning with calling 9-1-1 and ending it by performing CPR to the hit Bee Gee’s song, “Stayin’ Alive.”

More than just a fitting title and an upbeat tone, the beat of the song also replicates the natural heart rhythm of 100 beats per minutes(bpm).

The event was held at Lee’s Summit North in an effort to honor and underline the importance of National Heart Month and educated community members on the signs and symptoms of a heart attack. A notable change in CPR training is that the American Heart Association and other organizations are training citizens in a hands-only CPR that does not include any mouth-to-mouth.

“CPR has changed,” said Lee’s Summit Medical Center Chief Executive Officer John McDonald, FACHE. “This is a powerful community partnership to be able to engage people in a life-saving exercise, but also in a fun way that’s memorable.”

“The AHA and other groups are trying to make CPR more accessible, spreading the word through innovative methods,” a press release stated. “The guidelines say it’s appropriate to start CPR if you see a person collapse who is not breathing or is gasping. The hands-only CPR is meant to be performed until an ambulance or EMS provider or someone with an automatic defibrillator arrives to take over.”

For more information about Lee’s Summit Medical Center, visit https://leessummitmedicalcenter.com.

Lee’s Summit North won 68 against Blue Springs 48.