Minutes Matter
UPMC Chautauqua Hosts New Community Training Program
A UPMC employee speaks with a Minutes Matter attendee during a Monday Minutes Matter free community program held at UMPC Jamestown’s conference room, located at 207 Foote Ave.
From left, Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel, races against a UPMC employee during a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) race at a Minutes Matter community educational symposium held Monday at UMPC Jamestown’s conference room. Minutes Matter aims to inform and empower people with basic emergency information. P-J photo by Chirstopher Blakeslee
A UPMC employee speaks with a Minutes Matter attendee during a Monday Minutes Matter free community program held at UMPC Jamestown’s conference room, located at 207 Foote Ave.
From left, Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel, races against a UPMC employee during a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) race at a Minutes Matter community educational symposium held Monday at UMPC Jamestown’s conference room. Minutes Matter aims to inform and empower people with basic emergency information. P-J photo by Chirstopher Blakeslee
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Minutes Matter at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Jamestown.
The medical center, located at 207 Foote Ave., recently hosted a UPMC flagship program, Minutes Matter, a community initiative Monday at the hospital's auditorium.
"This program actually started in Erie, (Pa.)" said Dr. Jason Chenault, senior director of emergency and critical care services at UPMC. "So far, company-wide, we've conducted about 80 or so of these events."
According to minutesmatter.upmc.com, the program aims to inform and empower the public with basic emergency information and education related to cardiac events, overdoses, uncontrolled bleeding, and mental health.
Focusing on palliative and emergency care, the program has expanded over the years.
"While we provide training and education, which are highly interactive, like our chest compression (CPR) game. We've also had to include programs like Narcan education," Chenault said.
Naloxone, the active ingredient in Narcan, is an opioid antagonist: a medication used to reverse or reduce the effects of opioids. Naloxone is commonly used to restore breathing after an opioid overdose, according to medlineplus.gov.
The county Executive PJ Wendel gave his support to this UPMC initiative, and even competed in the CPR race game.
"I fully support this program," said Wendel, a trained emergency medical technician himself. "This training is not only crucial to helping a victim survive a medical emergency, but is much needed with the shortage of EMTs, paramedics and firefighters as well."
According to the American Heart Association, CPR is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. Immediate CPR can double or triple the chances of survival after cardiac arrest.
There were eight educational tables set up. Some tables displayed literature and pamphlets. Other tables were fully-interactive exercises designed to show the instant and real-time results like the CPR game. For more information visit minutesmatter.upmc.com
"Statistically speaking, when first-aid and skills such as CPR are rendered, it can increase a person's chance of living and recovery two or more times that of when aid is not given," said Chenault.