Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller worked to raise awareness of heart disease and was responsible for ensuring that all Cook County employees are trained to provide emergency response to people suffering from heart attacks.

“Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Illinois, and Cook County in particular has the highest heart disease death rate in the country. “Since then, it has been my mission to bring attention to this issue and help improve heart health in our county and beyond,” Miller said.

“Each year, I am grateful for the opportunity to educate and provide Cook County employees and residents across the region with the tools they need to know what to do in a cardiac emergency. , thank you to everyone who participated in this effort, “Please share this important message!”

“Last year, high-profile cases like the NFL’s Damar Hamlin and the University of Southern California’s Bronny James really highlighted the importance of CPR training. Fortunately, both had positive outcomes. “However, due to a lack of CPR training for the general public, too many people are not seeing results,” said cardiologist Dr. Marlon Everett. “These situations highlight the importance of CPR training for a wide range of audiences, including workplaces and schools.”

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During his tenure, Miller has made it a priority to use his background in the health care industry to educate residents about the risks of cardiovascular disease, how to prevent it, and how to improve heart disease outcomes through CPR training.

To improve outcomes for cardiac patients, Mr. Miller helped conduct in-person CPR and AED training and virtual CPR and AED training for Cook County employees. This effort was recognized with the 2022 National Association of Counties Achievement Award. To date, hundreds of employees, as well as elected officials and department heads, have participated in the training.

When a bystander begins CPR when someone goes into cardiac arrest, their chances of survival nearly double or triple.

CPR/AED training is especially important for African Americans and Latinos, who are 30-50% more likely to perform bystander CPR in the event of a heart attack than white adults. This is because it is low.
Women are also less likely to undergo bystander CPR because they fear being accused of touching or hurting someone inappropriately.

Only 39% of women receive bystander CPR in public compared to 45% of men, and men are 23% more likely than women to survive a cardiac event.

In 2022, Miller published a report titled “Cardiovascular Health in the Southland,” which examined the impact of location and race on cardiovascular disease survival and outcomes in suburban Cook County.
The report found that overall, cardiovascular disease-related deaths occurred more frequently in southern jurisdictions with large black populations.