ROCKLEDGE, Fla., June 14, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More than 5,000 Florida residents participated in Health First's 7th Annual Free CPR Day and 5K on Saturday, June 13 at Space Coast Stadium, the spring training home of the Washington Nationals. The event, which is one of the largest CPR trainings in the Southeast, featured a free 5K race followed by hands-only CPR and AED training provided by the Health First Education & Training Center.
According to the American Heart Association, CPR can double a victim's chance of survival when it is performed immediately. Since the event's inception, Health First has helped train more than 13,000 people of all ages in hands-only CPR.
"At Health First, we're committed to improving the health and wellness of our community," said Paula Just, Chief Human Resources Officer for Health First, an integrated delivery network that includes nationally recognized health plans, four hospitals, a large medical group and a wide variety of outpatient and wellness services. "Through Health First Free CPR Day, we're able to provide critical life-saving skills to thousands of our citizens each year, making the Space Coast a safer place for all of us to live, work and play."
The "Friends & Family" training provided at the event is designed for those who want to learn CPR but do not need a course completion card in CPR for their job. The training is ideal for students, new parents, grandparents, babysitters and others interested in learning how to save a life.
Everyone who completed Saturday's free CPR training received a free T-shirt, a ticket to a Brevard County Manatees baseball game and a certificate for a free personal gourmet pizza from Pizza Gallery & Grill in Viera. The event also included a landing by Health First's First Flight helicopter, Brevard County Fire Rescue, kids' activities, Brevard Zoo animals and a heart healthy cooking demonstration.
About Health First
Founded in 1995, Health First is Central Florida's only fully integrated delivery network (IDN) and employs more than 8,000 associates. The integrator of its IDN is Health First Health Plans offering a wide variety of health insurance options across Central Florida. In addition it operates four hospitals (Health First's Cape Canaveral Hospital, Health First's Holmes Regional Medical Center, Health First's Palm Bay Hospital and Health First's Viera Hospital) and is home to Brevard County's only Trauma Center. Health First Medical Group is the largest multi-specialty physician group on the Space Coast. Health First also offers numerous Outpatient & Wellness services, including Health First Aging Services, four Health First Pro-Health & Fitness Centers and Home and Hospice care. Visit www.health-first.org for more information.
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