The Orlando Chapter of Hadassah will present “Saving Heartbeats” at its luncheon meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016 at Congregation Ohev Shalom at 11:30 a.m.

The program “Saving Heartbeats” is a CPR class aimed at teaching the basic life saving techniques to women so they may understand what is needed to act in an emergency situation. Hopefully, this presentation encourages them to follow through and become certified in CPR. Orlando Hadassah offers this program annually.

The class has proven its value. It works! Two days after participating in this program, one of its members saved a man’s life in a local restaurant. She received a commendation from the American Heart Association.

This year’s class will be taught by Hadassah member Marjorie Smith, a certified EMT and CPR instructor. Smith, a practicing attorney, served as a volunteer EMT with the South Orange Rescue Squad, while living in New Jersey. She and her husband are currently members of the CERT team (Civilian Emergency Response Team) under the umbrella of the Seminole County Fire Department.

Orlando Hadassah offers “Saving Heartbeats” in conjunction with the promotion of Hadassah’s Women’s Heart Health Program™ “Every Beat Counts.” This initiative educates women about risks, prevention and detection of heart disease, the No.1 cause of death among women in the U.S. and worldwide. One in three women over the age of 20 has some form of cardiovascular disease and a woman is 10 times more likely to die of a heart attack than breast cancer. Cardiovascular disease kills more women than men in the U.S., and women present symptoms differently than men.

Hadassah has aligned with “Sister to Sister” to better promote “Every Beat Counts” throughout the U.S. and worldwide. Sister to Sister is the brainchild of Hadassah member and philanthropist Irene Pollin. She was motivated to start “Sister to Sister” in 2000 to get the word out to women—especially among working women who have no time to take care of themselves—that cardiac screenings are a key factor in heart disease prevention.

Sister to Sister and Every Beat Counts have been pioneers in preventing heart disease in women through the development of heart-health programs, educational materials and awareness campaigns that heart disease is the #1 killer of women.

The Orlando Chapter of Hadassah takes this program a step farther. By educating women in the life saving techniques of CPR, we give them the ability to aid a victim in distress while awaiting the arrival of the paramedics. We teach women to save lives by “Saving Heartbeats”.

The Orlando Chapter of Hadassah’s meeting on Jan. 5, 2016 is open to all who are interested in learning about women’s heart health and the prevention of heart attacks and strokes.

For reservation or further information call Nancy at 407-333-0204 or email nancyg357@yahoo.com.