I've Decided to be 1 in a Million!

Be 1 in a Million.


In just ten years, Mental Health First Aid has become a full-blown movement in the United States—more than  600,000 Mental Health First Aiders strong and growing every day. In 2016, the National Council for Behavioral Health is making it a priority to train more first aiders than ever before. Our vision? One million Mental Health First Aiders in the U.S.

I have decided to become a Mental Health First Aider. This choice is very personal to me.
My dear father passed away November 4, 2015. My entire life he battled major depressive disorder. Family members have told me that he suffered with this disease since childhood. As a young child, I could not understand why my dad was so different than my friends dads. It wasn't until I was older that I realized he couldn't control his mood without medication. Unfortunately, he did not start treatment for this until his mid 70's. I was grateful that the last few years of his life he was full of joy and love.  I treasure those memories. I know we were happy that he never attempted to take his own life but that isn't always the case. This is why I have decided to be 1 in a million! For my dad and for those who struggle everyday.

WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID?

Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour course that teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis.

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID MATTERS.

Most of us would know how to help if we saw someone having a heart attack—we’d start CPR, or at the very least, call 9-1-1. But too few of us would know how to respond if we saw someone having a panic attack or if we were concerned that a friend or co-worker might be showing signs of alcoholism.
Mental Health First Aid takes the fear and hesitation out of starting conversations about mental health and substance use problems by improving understanding and providing an action plan that teaches people to safely and responsibly identify and address a potential mental illness or substance use disorder.




When more people are equipped with the tools they need to start a dialogue, more people can get to the help they may need. Mental Health First Aiders can even save lives.



If you would like more information on becoming a Mental Health First Aider please visit http://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org

Sincerely,

Lora

Sunblock? Check. Towels? Check. CPR Trained Adult?

Stephanie White A mother, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and a Public Voices Fellow with the OpEd Project

The American Red Cross website features cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) stories front and center. The plot is always the same - normal people enjoying a normal day until something horribly abnormal happens then, thanks to some well-placed bystanders equipped with the life-saving skills of CPR, a person survives.

My save story was no different.

It was a warm spring day in South Florida, so my husband and I took our one-year-old son down to the pool in our condo building. After enjoying the water, and of course taking lots of pictures, we decided to take a break as the pool became slightly more crowded with a group of kids. One of these was 5-year-old Gio, who’d arrived a few minutes earlier with his mom and his sister.

That’s pretty much all I remember until my husband’s urgent voice broke into my daydreams “Steph, go!” As I turned around, I saw Gio’s limp, body being pulled from the bottom of the pool and heard the screams of his sister. I handed my son over and ran to help. Gio was a terrifying shade of blue I had never seen before. There was no pulse, he was not breathing, and I was shaking.

At the time I was a chief resident of pediatrics and technically a board certified pediatrician however nothing really prepares you for out of hospital CPR. There were no ambu bag, monitors, other doctors, or nurses to help. As I started doing chest compressions, the magnitude of the situation hit me. This little boy was basically dead, I was trying to save him and despite there being multiple bystanders, there was no one else to help.

As I listened to the distant sirens, I recall thinking: “30:2 or should it be 15:2, but the air isn’t going in.” I grabbed his arm to check for a brachial pulse. Just as the doors to the pool courtyard opened, I felt it...it was weak...but it was there. The EMT team rushed in and took over and got him into an ambulance. A few minutes later it was eerily calm. Only those of us who’d been there could have imagined the life or death scene that had just taken place.

Gio survived and has done remarkably well but there easily could have been a more devastating outcome. Drownings are the leading cause of death in children age 1-4. Every year in the United States, there are an average of more than 700 children who die from unintentional drownings. However, for every child who dies from drowning, another five receive treatment in the emergency department for nonfatal submersion injuries. These nonfatal injuries may lead to long-term memory problems and learning disabilities, but can also have devastating effects on overall functioning.

Of course the value of CPR extends far beyond the swimming pool. Simply put, it can help anyone who is unconscious, not breathing and does not have a pulse. The American Heart Association estimates that 70 percent of Americans are not adequately trained in CPR. This is a significant number considering that most emergencies that would require bystander CPR occur at home and involve loved ones: spouses, parents, children, and friends. When someone stops breathing or their heart stops beating, they can only survive 4 to 6 minutes before the lack of oxygen can result in brain damage or death.Timely, effective bystander CPR can double a victim’s chance of survival after a cardiac arrest.

Since that day in March 2012, I have become a far stronger advocate for water safety, swim lessons, pool gates and I routinely ask my patients their family rules for going near water. Last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics released it’s Sun and Water Safety Tips stating whenever children under age 5 are in or around water, an adult - preferably one who knows how to swim and perform CPR - should be within arm’s length, providing “touch supervision.”

Parenthood is hard work—and it requires thinking ahead. We put daily “nut free” notes in our kids’ lunch. We ask about allergies and laydates. CPR is no different. It’s a matter of life and death. We’d do well to add “CPR trained adult” to our fun-in-the-sun checklists.

 #mcrmedical #cprtraining #cprsaveslives #watersafety #cpr

Installing Face Shield/Lung Bags

Happy Monday Everyone!

We often get calls regarding the proper installation of Prestan Lung Bags/Face Shields. The more you install them the easier it becomes.
I am sharing a link to the proper install of the lung bags/face shield: Face-Shield/Lung-Bag Instructions


Hint* remember to fold the bags like a fan for proper installation.
#mcrmedical #prestanproducts #prestanmanikins #CPR #CPRmanikins #prestanlungbags

Thanks for reading,

Lora

App Alerts Those Trained In CPR Of Cardiac Emergencies

App Alerts Those Trained In CPR Of Cardiac Emergencies: Naperville has become the first Chicago area community to connect with a smartphone app that gives people who know CPR or how to use AEDs a way to put that knowledge to use.
“Naperville is not afraid to lead. We as a community are dedicated to innovation,” said Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico, talking about the city’s adoption of the Pulse Point Respond app.
Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis said: “Pulse Point Respond is an app that notifies registered users who are certified in CPR and AED use of a cardiac emergency within a 12-block radius of their current location.”
Chief Puknaitis says it’s hoped those who can help administer aid before fire units get there do so.
Time is critical.
The American Heart Association says for every minute that passes without CPR or defibrillation, the chances of patient survival decrease 7 percent to 10 percent. The fire chief says Naperville spent $20,000 to set up a link between its 911 dispatch center and the Pulse Point Respond app. He says it’ll cost about $4,000 a year to maintain, which he says is worth it. #cpr #newcprapp #cprtrained #aedtrained #pulsepointrespond

MCR Training Valves Now Individually Wrapped

We're deep into summer and I’m sure you all will be very busy training. We thought we would do our part to make this season a little less hectic by revamping one of our very popular products.  Our MCR Training Valves will now be individually wrapped.  It’s the same quality product as before but now they will be wrapped separately for your convenience. We have also started selling our valves in a 50 pack bundle. When your purchase the 50 pack bundle you’ll receive three free training masks.

The adult, child and infant masks are capable of being decontaminated per CDC guidelines. Which makes them reusable and helps maximize your training dollar! The mask’s soft, pliable bladder conforms well to manikin faces and the valve stems are fully compatible with all brands of universal CPR valves. We also sell these masks and a few variations of them in 10 packs which include a set of 10 free valves.

The valves and masks will be packaged in a compact carrying case that can be used for an assortment of things. The polypropylene box is approximately 11" x 6.25" by 5.75” (outside dimension) and is perfect for storing many of the supplies we carry, such as a BVM or training kits.  The base is white but the lid is clear with a blue handle.

The bundle is a great deal and perfect for all instructors regardless if you have a high volume classes or you’re simply stocking up on supplies. Be prepared for what this summer’s training season has in store for you. #mcrmedical #trainingvalves #freetrainingmasks

Wonderful Story of Giving Back

Meet Angela. (She's in the blue scrub top in the bottom row.)

Angela is a new customer of ours and has given us permission to share her story and photos. She partnered with her local Red Cross and recently traveled to Honduras where she was able to provide first responder and CPR training to 255 students. Her students are studying to be healthcare workers in very rural parts of Honduras. She also provided the same training to 40 local government representatives that are living and working in very remote communities. She contacted us just a few days prior to her departure and we were able to deliver her Prestan Ultralite Manikins just in time for her trip. Since her students had never owned any manikins for training she very generously voluntarily donated the manikins she purchased with MCR Medical Supply to ensure their education continued with reliable training tools.
      
The picture above was one Angela provided us from her trip along with a few kind words directly from her.
“I just wanted to let you all know that my manikins arrived today in time to take them to Honduras. These are the coolest manikins ever! The chest rise is so great. I can't believe there's that much utility in such small and light packaging!!”

Thank you Angela, not only for sharing your story with us but for sharing your knowledge and skills to those less fortunate. You are changing the world.

   

#mcrmedical  #CPR  #cprsaveslives  #firstaid  #CPRinstructor #cprsupplies  #firstaidsupplies #cprtraining  #prestan  #cprmanikins

Learning the Ropes~~~

Hi everyone. I'm Lora and am new to the MCR Medical team. The above picture was taken of me and Officer Nathan last week. I felt the need to show him my support and ask for a picture. He happily obliged.

I am so very lucky to work for a company that truly puts people first! The owners are very knowledgeable about the products we sell and what the customer needs. Not sure what I did to be lucky enough to be hired on but it must of been something good. I will be doing some blogging as I learn about our company and our products.


We are in an industry that helps saves lives. I love that. And I want to hear stories from our customers and their students about how learning CPR and/or First Aid made a difference in someone's life. We are reaching out on Facebook for those stories. Yesterday we posted a wonderful story about Angela and her trip to Honduras. She partnered with her local Red Cross and traveled to Honduras where she was able to provide first responder and CPR training to 255 students. Her students are studying to be healthcare workers in very rural parts of Honduras. She also provided the same training to 40 local government representatives that are living and working in very remote communities. Kudos Angela for giving back and saving lives. I will posting the complete story in a few days.


In closing, remember that we are here for YOU! The CPR Instructor, the teacher, the parent and anyone who needs our products so please visit our website mcrmedical.com and look around at all the items we have to offer. I look forward assisting you.

Thanks for all you do,


Lora E. Jones
MCR Medical

What’s with all the CPR Manikin “Blue Rate Monitor” talk?

Recently the Emergency Cardiovascular Care guidelines for CPR changed to add a recommendation that “In adult victims of cardiac arrest, it is reasonable for rescuers to perform chest compressions at a rate of 100/min to 120/min.

As you might expect, this has raised a huge amount of discussion about compression rates and training aids.  Metronomes, for example, are set by the manufacturer to a predetermined rate.  No matter the metronome speed, students will only know that they are pressing slower, the same, or faster than the metronome rate.  So, if a metronome is set to 100 beats per minute, then students will know when they are pressing too slowly, but will not know for certain when they are pressing too quickly.  Conversely, if a metronome is set to 120, then students will know when they are pressing too quickly, but not know for certain when they are pressing too slowly.

The new Blue Rate Monitor available for Prestan Adult CPR Manikins is a training aid which takes this into account.  It displays different colors of lights according to how fast the student is performing compressions.  A compression rate of 0-59 per minute displays a red light, 60-79 per minute displays a yellow light (too slow), 80-99 displays a green light (almost fast enough), 100-119 displays TWO green lights (the proper rate), and anything more displays the two green lights PLUS flashes a yellow light (too fast).

Rate Chart

This system gives students instant feedback about their compression rate, adjusting to their compression speed in real time, so they know right away if their speed is slipping, or if they are starting to go a little fast.  Let’s see a metronome do that!

All adult Prestan CPR Manikins from MCR Medical are equipped with the new blue monitors.

But why are they called “Blue” if they don’t have blue lights?  The plastic housing of the new module was changed to blue to signify that it has the upgraded standards, so instructors know instantly if the rate monitor is new or old.  This is extremely helpful for instructors who may have both, or if renting or buying a Prestan manikin.