Hospital, city join forces to teach emergency skills
Minutes Matter program to be offered to public
UPMC Altoona and the city have launched a program designed to train individuals in the community to provide initial help in medical emergencies, pending the arrival of first responders.
The parties announced Minutes Matter on Friday at the UPMC Altoona Foundation’s annual Winter Splendor fundraiser at the Blair County Convention Center.
The training will take place in various venues, such as health fairs, government and school buildings and business locations and will include education on lifesaving measures like cardiopulmonary resuscitation, stoppage of bleeding and how to deal with drug overdoses, heart attacks and mental health crises — and will also include instructions on the use of tools like automated external defibrillators, naloxone and tourniquets, according to officials and a hospital news release.
“Anybody can save a life if they’re trained properly,” UPMC Altoona President Mike Corso said prior to the fundraising event.
Bystanders are usually first on the scene in emergencies, according to Corso.
Those inclined to help — to be Good Samaritans — “can feel empowered to intervene,” due to the confidence that training can instill, officials suggested.
That intervention can both save lives and improve patient outcomes, Corso said.
UPMC started the Minutes Matter program in Pittsburgh several years ago, but paused it when the pandemic intervened, he said.
“(Since then), it’s always been a thing we wanted to get moving on,” he said.
UPMC is partnering with the city because the city is a large, influential employer, Corso said, adding that Tom Marra, UPMC Altoona’s director of cardiology services, will be the administrative lead on the program for the hospital.
The hospital is expected to reach out to schools and larger employers to ask whether they’re interested in setting up training sessions.
Conversely, businesses and other organizations can reach out to the hospital.
It’s possible that sessions would be offered to the general public.
“It’s a cool initiative,” said Mayor Matt Pacifico. “(To) train and equip a network of helpers.”
The hospital has offered to come to City Hall to instruct staffers, Pacifico said.
For more information, visit MinutesMatter.UPMC.com.
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.