Improving Survival Rates One Community at a Time

ACT: C3 is a project aimed at improving survival of cardiac arrest victims in Eugene & Springfield, Oregon.  Local firefighter Josh Moore developed the program to strengthen the chain of survival identified by the American Heart Association.  Funding comes from private and corporate donations, grant writing, and support of the Command Staff of Eugene and Springfield Fire Departments.  Cooperation between municipal services, local hospitals, ER physicians and county medical directors have resulted in dramatic and sweeping improvements to every link of the survival chain.

The first two links in the chain of survival involve public recognition of cardiac arrest and CPR.  Those links were improved in several ways including dispatch instructions for cardiac arrest being evaluated and a priority being placed on early, continuous chest compressions. 

Simultaneously, a PSA campaign about “Hands-Only CPR” was initiated via public transit billboards, radio talk shows, TV commercials and webpage banner links.  Then volunteers from high school National Honor Society chapters and University of Oregon Fraternal Sorority Life Chapters (especially Alpha Phi) were asked to assist in pubic training using “CPR Anytime Kits.” 

Last school year over 3,000 local citizens learned “Hands-Only CPR” through ACT: C3.  This included every 7th grader within Springfield School District 19. The students then used the same CPR Anytime Kits they had trained on to train 449 family members at home.  The City of Eugene launched a website devoted to ACT: C3 which enables local organizations and individuals to donate for and request FREE “Hands-Only CPR” training.
The next two links in the chain of survival are early defibrillation and ACLS care.  These links were radically improved by increasing response package to cardiac arrest and adopting Cardiocerebral Resuscitation Protocols.  The ACT: C3 program also created “pit crew” style responder duties, which streamlined treatment algorithms and eliminated on-scene hesitation and confusion.

The fifth link in the chain of survival is definitive care and quality improvement.  ACT: C3 has brought together multiple agencies, physician groups and medical centers with the goal of identifying a data registry which will improve local survival through data analysis.