In this episode of "Hub City Now", host Tyrone Tony Reed Jr. interviews Caitlin Roach, executive director of Friends of Heart, a fund of The Foundation, spoke about the 4-Minute City Initiative.

The City of Jackson and Friends of Heart is partnering with Avive Solutions to significantly increase survival rates from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) in Jackson through a program called the 4-Minute City. Friends of Heart,  plan to bring cutting-edge technology to Jackson by placing Avive's intelligent AEDs across the city and deploying their new cardiac arrest response technology. Most importantly, Friends of Heart plan to work with the citizens of Jackson through free training and educational resources so we are all prepared to save a life.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of death in the U.S. and we are doing something to change that in our community! Friends of Heart is partnering with Avive Solutions, alongside The City of Jackson, the Jackson Fire Department, and West TN Healthcare to significantly increase survival rates of SCA in Jackson through a program called 4-Minute City.

Together, we plan to bring cutting-edge technology and forward-thinking ideas to Jackson by placing Avive's intelligent AEDs across the city and deploying their first-of-its-kind cardiac arrest response technology. Most importantly, we plan to work with the citizens of Jackson to create a culture of saving lives from cardiac arrest through free training and educational resources so that all of you are prepared to save a life. Learn more at avive.life/jackson or friendsofheart.org.

This project addresses the public health issue of Sudden Cardiac Arrest occurrences. This is a program that focuses on increasing survival rates of people in sudden cardiac arrest through free public training for hands-only CPR/AED and placement of connected AED’s in our community.

Three ways to get involved:

1. Learn Hands-only CPR/AED Training either by scheduling an in-person class or going to our virtual training site where you can learn what to do if you witness an SCA incident. Chances are you will save the life of a loved one. 70% of out-of-hospital SCA occur in the home.
2. Become a member of the Cardiac Arrest Rapid Engagement Team (CARE) led by the Jackson Fire Department.
3. Give a donation of $1,500.00 to sponsor an AED in our community. This donation will supply a person on the CARE Team with a life-saving device and connectivity for five years.

Avive Solutions, Inc, a company bringing to market a revolutionary connected platform comprised of a next-generation connected Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and first of it’s kind software system designed to improve response to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) emergencies, announced in December 2021 that the City of Jackson, Tennessee, as its first Partner Community for the Company’s 4-Minute City (4MC) Program.

For the 4MC Program, leaders in Jackson, including non-profit Friends of Heart (a fund of West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation), West Tennessee Healthcare, and the City of Jackson Fire Department are partnering with Avive Solutions, Inc. to implement the Company’s comprehensive hardware + software platform solution, with the goal of improving OHCA outcomes by enabling a more connected system of response in the City of Jackson.

In this episode of "Hub City Now" host Tyrone Tony Reed Jr. interviewed Caitlin Roach, marketing manager of LIFELINE Blood Services.

Roach spoke about the lack of blood donors and the dire need for blood not only in West Tennessee but across the nation.

LIFELINE Blood Services currently has mobile units go out to 20 different counties. They serve all of West Tennessee except for Shelby and Tipton and across the river for Houston and Humphreys County.  The organization gives blood products to 17 hospitals in 14 air ambulance service areas. In those counties, it is the sole provider of blood.

Roach also spoke about the Blood Emergency Readiness Corps (BERC) is composed of blood centers from across the nation that have committed to collecting extra blood units on a rotating, “on call” schedule. The extra blood products will be held in reserve for any critical-need scenario, like a mass shooting or natural disaster.

January's Week 2 schedule for LIFELINE Blood Services was shared and questions were answered about who can and can't give blood.

LIFELINE is in dire, dire need of donors. Its numbers are down in ways people who have worked there for decades have never seen. If there is anything you can do that goes beyond what you normally do for them, please let them know. They need new donors and lapsed donors to come save lives!

To learn more about LIFELINE Blood Services, call 731.427.4431 or visit lifelinebloodserv.org.