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ECC Beat 5/29/26
May 29, 2026
The Pulse This Week…
Please Note: To view information in some links, you will be required to log in to your Heart Association Atlas account.
The Power to Save a Life is in Your Hands
If someone collapsed in front of you, would you know what to do?
For many people, the answer is no, not because they don’t care, but because they believe CPR is only for trained professionals. During CPR and AED Awareness Week (June 1-7), the American Heart Association is working to change that belief and remind communities that lifesaving action starts with everyday people. The Heart Association seeks the help of the Training Network to spread awareness about this year’s CPR Week message, In Your Hands, which puts the focus on where it belongs.
Cardiac arrest can happen at home, at work, or in your neighborhood. When it does, immediate CPR can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival. Yet more than two in three people in the U.S. still think only people with medical training should step in. That hesitation can cost precious time — and lives.
The CPR Week message will help members of the public understand that they do not need to be a medical professional to save a life.
Check out heart.org/nation, where CPR Week-related resources that contain the “In Your Hands” message and important information about CPR and AEDs are addressed through infographics, key messages, and social media content. These resources can be downloaded to share with family members, friends, and/or community members.
Updated AHA Knowledge Booster App is Now Complimentary
Think you’ll remember everything from your Heart Association course? The AHA Knowledge Booster is a quiz-based app that was created to reinforce critical CPR and emergency care information with the intention of improving engagement and knowledge retention for students who have recently completed Heart Association training. The app was recently updated to reflect the latest science from the 2025 Guidelines for CPR & ECC.
The Heart Association is also excited to announce that the AHA Knowledge Booster is now complimentary. This app is a great resource for Instructors to encourage students to use after their course to retain their cognitive knowledge, or to use to refresh their knowledge when preparing for a course renewal.
Users can choose topics appropriate for their level of knowledge.
Healthcare Professionals: BLS, ACLS, and PALS
Non-Healthcare Professionals: First Aid and CPR Basics
The app is available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
Cardiac Arrest Recovery and Survivorship Needs Assessment Survey
The American Heart Association, in collaboration with a multidisciplinary group of experts, is inviting health care professionals to participate in a brief Cardiac Arrest Recovery and Survivorship Needs Assessment Survey. This 10-minute confidential survey, based on the 2025 American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR and ECC, aims to gather valuable insights on implementation of best practices, challenges, and resource needs related to post-resuscitation care.
Feedback from health care professionals will directly inform the development of future tools and resources to strengthen patient outcomes and support care teams across the continuum. Please consider sharing this opportunity with colleagues involved in post-resuscitation care and discharge planning to help amplify impact.
New data from the CARES registry shows encouraging momentum as we work toward our 2030 goals—and your role as Instructors and Training Center leaders is making a measurable difference.
We’re seeing steady improvement in two critical areas:
Bystander CPR (BCPR): Increased from 40.2% in 2020 to 42.5% today
AED use before EMS arrival (public settings): Increased from 9% in 2020 to 13.9% today
While we still have work to do to reach our goals—more than 50% BCPR and 20% AED use—this progress shows that more people are stepping in to help when it matters most.
Every class you teach, every learner you prepare, and every community you reach brings us closer to building a true Nation of Lifesavers™.
Thank you for the impact you make every day. Lives are being saved because of you.
Click here to see the latest data from the CARES report.
Lorraine Stewart (right) was holding her newborn son, Court (center), in their hospital room when he stopped breathing. Hallie Allison (left), a certified nursing assistant, performed infant CPR on Court to help save his life.
(Photo courtesy of Lindy Picciotti Photography)
She Didn’t Hesitate: The CPR That Saved a 4-Hour-Old Life
Just four hours after his birth, baby Court Stewart stopped breathing in his mother’s arms, turning a joyful moment into a medical emergency. Patient care technician Hallie Allison immediately recognized something was wrong and sprang into action, beginning infant CPR within seconds while calling for additional help. As a team rushed Court to the NICU and continued lifesaving efforts, Allison also provided emotional support to Court’s mother, Lorraine, staying by her side during the terrifying ordeal. Thanks to the rapid response and high-quality CPR, Court began breathing again and was placed under close monitoring.
After a difficult first month that included time in the NICU and ongoing care at home, Court made a remarkable recovery. Now a healthy and thriving 1-year-old, his outcome is credited to the quick thinking and training that guided Allison’s actions. The experience forged a lasting bond between the families and inspired Allison to further her medical career.
➡️ Follow the link to the full story and see how quick action and CPR training made all the difference.
Reminder About the Online Exams Policy
American Heart Association course exams may not be uploaded or administered through any external Learning Management System (LMS). This policy is in place to maintain exam integrity and consistency across all authorized Training Centers. Specifically:
1. Exam Security:
All Association exams are proprietary and must remain protected within approved Association delivery methods. Uploading them to any external platform poses a security risk, including the potential for unauthorized access, distribution, or duplication.
2. Proctoring Requirements:
Exams must be completed under direct Instructor or exam proctor supervision to ensure valid assessment and compliance with Association program standards. External LMS platforms cannot provide or verify those required conditions.
3. Consistency and Fairness:
To ensure equitable application of Association policies across all authorized Training Centers, exceptions cannot be granted.
We appreciate your understanding and continued collaboration in upholding Association standards and maintaining the quality of our training programs.
2025 CPR Guidelines Podcasts
Take a deeper dive into the new science and check out these 10 Guidelines podcasts available on our ECC Digital Digest.
NEW! Mechanical CPR Podcast
Gain insights on how the BLS writing group for the 2025 Guidelines for CPR & ECC arrived at the mechanical CPR device recommendations in this podcast episode, now available on the ECC Digital Digest.
Cardiac Arrest Survivor Network Series Podcast
Discover the courage and resilience of cardiac arrest survivors in the Survivor Network Series. Each episode features powerful personal stories of survival, recovery, and hope.Tune in today and be moved by the voices of survival and strength.
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Email: Atlas.support@heart.org
