TAMPA, Fla., April 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Every 43
seconds someone in the United
States has a heart attack. To help teach skills that protect
life, Staywell Heath Plan, a WellCare (NYSE: WCG) health plan
dedicated to serving Medicaid members in Florida, has partnered with the American Heart
Association to provide Hands-Only™ CPR training classes for the
general public at its local Welcome Rooms.
Hands-Only CPR is CPR without mouth-to-mouth breaths and is
recommended for use by people who see someone suddenly collapse in
an "out-of-hospital" settings such as at home, at work or in a
park. It consists of two easy steps: Call 9-1-1 (or send someone to
call on your behalf) and push hard and fast in the center of the
chest.
"If you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you will most
likely be trying to save the life of someone you love," said Dr.
Alan Smith, senior medical director
for Staywell. "More than 326,000 people experience cardiac arrest
outside of a hospital each year, and about 90 percent of them die,
often because loved ones don't know how to start CPR or are afraid
they'll do something wrong."
The American Heart Association guidelines, published in
Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association,
highlight how quick action, proper training, use of technology and
coordinated efforts can increase survival from cardiac arrest.
Survival depends on immediate CPR and other actions starting with
bystanders.
"We believe that educating and engaging community members around
key health priorities will further our mission to help our members
live better, healthier lives," said Elizabeth Miller, president, WellCare of
Florida. "WellCare is proud that
our Welcome Rooms are making it easier for people to access
important health information right where they live and work."
WellCare operates 15 Welcome Rooms throughout Florida. They are located in Ft. Myers,
Jacksonville, Kissimmee, Melbourne, New Port
Richey, Ocala, Orlando, Pensacola, Pinellas
Park, Spring Hill,
Tallahassee, Tampa, West Palm
Beach and Winter Haven. For
more information about events and activities, call WellCare of
Florida's Welcome Rooms at (850)
523-4300.
To learn more, visit www.heart.org/handsonlyCPR.
As of Dec. 31, 2016, WellCare
serves approximately 780,000 Medicaid members, 62,000 Florida
Healthy Kids members, 94,000 Medicare Advantage members, and 28,000
Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members in Florida.
About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
Headquartered in
Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health
Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing
government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through
Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans,
to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical
needs. The company serves approximately 3.9 million members
nationwide as of Dec. 31, 2016. For
more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website
at www.wellcare.com or view the company's videos at
https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.
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SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.