The BCOM chapter of the Sigma Sigma Phi (SSP) honorary osteopathic service fraternity participated in the 2018 National Texas Two Step CPR event. The annual event aims to educate the public on the benefits of compressions-only (aka hands-only) CPR. The program started in 2015 as a grassroots event organized by Texas medical students hoping to teach the technique to as many people as possible. By 2017, the event had grown to include 14 cities and all medical schools in Texas. For this year’s event, they expanded to include six additional states, with the BCOM students representing New Mexico.
The “two steps” involved in the process are calling 911, and then pushing hard and fast on the center of the chest until help arrives. The Texas Two Step CPR website says, “The life-saving technique can be performed “by the layperson in emergency situations to buy time for a loved one until emergency medical services arrive. Along with preparing everyday civilians for emergency events, Texas Two Step CPR provides leadership opportunities to medical students from around the country and allows them to give back to their communities.”
More than 70 BCOM volunteers participated in the event in late February, which was held over two days at the Mesilla Valley Mall, where they reached 592 community members. Sigma Sigma Phi member Joya Singh called the event a “huge success,” noting that the live tracker during the event placed BCOM second in the nation, falling only behind Chicago’s site at the Field Museum.
“We received a message from the national coordinator saying how ‘blown away’ he was by BCOM’s numbers, especially in a town of roughly 100,000 people when they have a hard time reaching 300 participants in larger cities,” Singh said. “Our success really speaks to the enthusiasm and hard work our volunteers put in this weekend. We are all proud to be a part of such a loving and involved community!”
Across the nation, the 2018 Texas Two Step CPR event trained 7,832 people in 26 cities across seven states.
To learn more about this important initiative visit: tx2stepcpr.com.
