Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association Launches Iowa Affiliate

Des Moines-based Group Will Work Statewide to Prevent Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Through Public Education and Advocacy

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Association (SCAA) announced today that it has incorporated Iowa AED Access
for All as an affiliate as it builds a network of local organizations to help
carry out its mission of preventing sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

The Iowa SCAA affiliate is led by Mary Tappe of Ankeny, Iowa, who is a
survivor of sudden cardiac arrest. Mary founded the organization "AED Access
for All," which has been working in Iowa to broaden deployment of automated
external defibrillators (AEDs), provide support for SCA survivors, conduct CPR
training, and educate the public about sudden cardiac arrest.

"We are excited about our new affiliation with the Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Association," said Mary Tappe. "By joining forces with the national
organization, we will have broader visibility and be able to make a bigger
impact across Iowa and to ultimately save more lives. We want to expand the
presence of AEDs in our communities and our schools and also make people more
aware of the risks of sudden cardiac arrest so that they can be better
informed about their health care."

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a leading killer in the U.S., striking more
than 350,000 annually, with a survival rate of only about five percent. The
death rate for SCA exceeds the combined death rate of breast cancer, lung
cancer, stroke and HIV/AIDS. SCA is triggered by an electrical problem with
the heart that causes the heart to stop beating, and is often confused with a
heart attack. SCA victims can often be revived with CPR and quick access to
defibrillation to shock the heart back into rhythm. While there are more AEDs
in public facilities and more patients implanted with Internal Cardiac
Defibrillators (ICDs), broader AED deployment and better patient understanding
of the condition is critical to improving the odds of survival.

SCAA today announced its first 13 chapters and affiliates and expects to have
at least 25 in place by this spring. SCAA chapters and affiliates bring
together sudden cardiac arrest survivors, patients, medical and emergency
professionals and community leaders to carry out public education and advocacy
programs and activities. Programs and projects will include broader
deployment of AEDs and CPR training, better public/patient awareness of sudden
cardiac arrest, and improved screening and access to medical care for
individuals who may be at risk.

"We have identified a committed group of volunteers and local community
leaders like Mary Tappe who have enthusiastically responded to our plans for a
national network of local chapters and affiliates," said Chris Chiames, SCAA's
executive director. "People from all walks of life and all kinds of interests
have been touched by sudden cardiac arrest and we are heartened by their
response to help. They know that our organization can make a difference in
saving lives through better public response and better public education. While
we work to expand our national presence and influence, we are going to rely on
our local chapters and affiliates to make the real impact in their communities
through education and advocacy."

Along with the Iowa affiliate the first set of local chapters and affiliates
include:

-- Austin, Texas

-- Cape Cod, Massachusetts

-- Kansas City (Kansas and Missouri)

-- Long Island, New York

-- Lubbock, Texas

-- Minnesota (Minneapolis-St. Paul and Rochester)

-- Northwestern Minnesota

-- Queens, New York

-- Southeastern Massachusetts

-- South Florida

-- Southwest Connecticut

-- Western Maine

SCAA is based in Washington, DC and is singularly focused on the issue of
sudden cardiac arrest. It co-chairs the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Coalition with
the Heart Rhythm Society, a professional association for electrophysiology and
heart rhythm physician specialists. SCAA provides its local affiliates with a
broad program of projects and activities that can be tailored to the interests
and needs of the local community. For more information on SCAA, please visit
http://www.suddencardiacarrest.org. The Iowa affiliate's website address is
http://www.aedaccessforall.org.

SOURCE Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association

Kristjen Renard of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association, +1-202-719-8909,
info@suddencardiacarrest.org