February is recognized as American Heart Month. The UA Cossatot Employee Safety and Wellness Committee and the college's Continuing Education department are both promoting heart health and CPR training this month to educate individuals throughout the year.

Statistics indicate that over 17 million people in the U.S. have coronary heart disease, with 234,000 of those individuals in Arkansas. About 647,000 Americans die from heart disease each year.

The UA Cossatot Employee Safety and Wellness Committee has teamed up with the college's Educational Resource Center (ERC) to provide heart-healthy information to everyone at the college. 

This month in the ERC, students and employees can view fact sheets, statistics, and suggestions to improve heart health. Large heart magnets displaying signs of a heart attack are also available and free to anyone.

UA Cossatot's Continuing Education department is also promoting American Heart Month by hosting a free lunch and learn in partnership with the Sevier County Coalition’s Live Well Sevier County Coalition on Thursday, February, 27 at noon. The lunch and learn will take place in the UA Cossatot Weyerhaeuser room located in the Skilled Trades building on the UA Cossatot De Queen Campus. 

This lunch and learn will inform those in attendance about early heart attack care and will be presented by Radiologic Technologist, Leah Harper. All are invited to bring their lunch and enjoy this free event. 

UA Cossatot is offering CPR and AED training this spring, summer, and fall on a demand basis for both initial certification and recertification. CPR is an emergency procedure that can help save a person's life if their breathing or heart stops. More than 350,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States per year. Ninety percent of people who suffer cardiac arrest die before reaching a hospital or medical care facility. Knowing CPR can save someone's life.

This training is available to the general public, daycare centers, industry personnel, or anyone wanting to learn the skill of CPR. To sign up for a class or to learn more about CPR courses through UA Cossatot, please contact UA Cossatot's Continuing Education department at 870-584-1178.