Department of Health, Department of Health Facilities, and Department of Human Services

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) is partnering with the American Heart Association and UniCare Health Plan to offer a free training for Hands-Only CPR on September 28, 2016, in downtown Charleston’s Davis Park.

Registration for the 20-minute trainings is currently available for sessions at 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. Hands-Only CPR utilizes compressions without mouth-to-mouth breaths, and is recommended for use by people who see a teen or adult suddenly collapse in an “out-of-hospital” setting.

“Hundreds of thousands of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually in the United States, and CPR can help reduce the number of casualties,” said DHHR Cabinet Secretary Karen L. Bowling. “With this free training, participants will be better equipped to make a difference in the life of someone they love, and ultimately create a healthier West Virginia.”

Secretary Bowling will kick off the event at 9:30 a.m. Other special guests include Mitch Collins, president and CEO of UniCare, and Caleb Tisdale, who will tell his story about performing CPR to save someone’s life. In addition to the training, food vendors and local farmers providing a pop-up market will be on hand.

Those interested in receiving the free Hands-Only CPR training are encouraged to register at http://bit.ly/2ccJw2o. Slots are limited to 250 people.