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Meriden Health & Human Services Department News

Web Site: http://www.meridenhealth.com
165 Miller St., Meriden, CT 06450
Tel: (203) 630-4226 Fax: (203) 639-0039

MDHHS is committed to improving the quality of life for all it serves through the promotion of health, prevention of disease, and by assuring a safe and clean environment.

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Meriden Earns HEARTSafe Community Designation

October 19, 2008

Meriden Mayor Michael Rohde states "We are pleased to be designated as a heart safe community by the Department of Public Health. We take pride in our efforts to proactively address the risks of heart attack amongst our residents."

DPH began the HEARTSafe Communities program to foster community environments that improve the survival odds for people suffering sudden cardiac events, such as cardiac arrests or heart attacks. The key to the program has been dubbed by the American Heart Association as the Chain of Survival. The Chain of Survival has four vital links: early access to emergency care; early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); early defibrillation and early advanced care.

A HEARTSafe Community promotes and supports: CPR training in the community; public access to defibrillation through strategic placement of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for use by public safety professionals and other trained community members; and early advanced care.

Meriden met the program requirements for public placement of AEDs, trained community residents, and equipped, staffed and trained emergency responders. In addition, Meriden is planning on continuing to provide community CPR training programs and expand the availability of AEDs in public locations. Free "lunch and learn" presentations on recognizing heart attack and stroke and preventing heart disease can be conducted at your place of business; if interested please contact the Meriden Health Department's Community Health Education office at 630-4238.

Also, are you looking for a new way to motivate employees to get into shape? Encouraging them to take the stairs instead of the elevator is one easy � and free! � method of adding physical activity to their daily routine. The Meriden Health Department has free "Take the Stairs" materials that you can post in your work place's stairwells and by elevators. We can also do presentations on walking for better health and starting an exercise program. Please call 630-4238 for copies, or to schedule a presentation.

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