Denver, CO, March 1, 2018, 10:00am Starting Hearts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Avon, CO, and the Iota Xi Chapter of the Alpha Phi sorority at the University of Denver have announced the completion of a Memo of Understanding to cooperate in the pursuit of a college affiliate program to address women’s heart health and sudden cardiac arrest on campus and in the community.
The agreement calls for the creation of a sustainable, long-term program to prepare citizens to confidently act as first responders to provide early care while professional medical personnel are enroute. Starting Hearts’ personnel will work with the sorority’s membership in education, defibrillator placement, and community outreach events. The partners will work to create a replicable program to be extended to other college campuses across the nation where Alpha Phi chapters reside.
“We are honored and excited to have the opportunity to work with the enthusiastic and dedicated young women of Alpha Phi at DU in pursuit of our mission to save many more precious lives,” stated Lynn Blake, founder of Starting Hearts and a cardiac arrest survivor. “Cardiac arrest is our nation’s biggest killer, but it no longer has to be that way. Empowering these women with leadership and lifesaving skills, with the knowledge and confidence to save lives, we know a profound change in lives saved is on the horizon.”
“We are so excited about the mission of Starting Hearts in training people to be able to respond to cardiac arrest, and are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to get the women of Iota Xi CPR certified!” stated CC Cutler, VP of Community Relations for the chapter. “We hope that our chapter’s involvement can have just a small impact in furthering the advances in research and treatment for those affected by cardiac arrest, and that our training in CPR will empower us to respond to a need and save a life!”
The partners have formed a planning committee and are preparing to launch activities on campus in April of this year.
