by Campus Health Staff
Main photo: USC speakers Dr. Carolyn Kaloostian (left) and Dr. Sarah Van Orman (right) with Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County of Public Health. All photos: USC Photo / Ling Luo
The Health Sciences Campus of USC was the site of the launch of Public Health Week 2024 on April 1, as the Los Angeles Department of Public Health (LADPH) kicked off a slate on initiatives to improve the lives of all Angelenos.
The theme of “Protecting, Connecting, and Thriving” was reflected in the day’s activities, which included demonstrations of Hands-Only CPR, an initiative that USC championed this past fall as a part of the LADPH campaign. The official remarks by Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of LADPH, included the announcement of the Community Readiness Champions, an initiative to bring mental health first aid training, AED training, Stop the Bleed training, and naloxone awareness, and other community readiness programs to people throughout LA County.
Jeff Howard, Anthony Cespedes, Stella Fogleman, Anthony Marrone, Kristin Crowley, Sarah Van Orman, Barbara Ferrer, Kristen McGowan, Carolyn Kaloostian, Cash Hennessy, Brenda Hennessy, Chad Hennessy.
“I want to appreciate the entire USC team, for their partnership and their support, over many years, for so many public health initiatives,” said Dr. Ferrer, “I do know that there are some dear friends of ours who are here today from the Keck School of Medicine, Dr. Howard Hu, Dr. Meltzer, Dr. Shapiro, and especially a huge, huge shout out to the faculty and students at USC, who are joining us today. Our partnership with USC was critically important during the pandemic, and now will serve to guide us and we work on ensuring that residents and communities have the resources they need for good health.”
“Today’s public health week kick-off event celebrates community readiness champions and highlights life saving trainings that everyone can participate in: hand-only CPR, Naloxone administration to prevent opioid overdose, stop the bleed training, and mental health first aid.” said Dr. Sarah Van Orman, vice president and chief campus health officer of USC, “Here at USC, we see in our own communities and on our own campuses, the issues of heart disease, the opioid epidemic, and mental health issues impact so many of us. We also know that when individuals have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to be an active bystander it is possible to save a life.”
“This could happen to anyone, and learning CPR could save so many lives.”
Cash Hennessy, cardiac event survivor
In addition to Dr. Ferrer and Dr. Van Orman, the speakers at the media event included LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone; LA City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley; LA Dept of Public Works administrative deputy Jeff Howard; LA County EMD director Ricky Tadeo; Heart Heroes partner, LA Dodgers, represented by vice president of government and community affairs, Kristen McGowan; American Heart Association Board Member (and Keck Medicine of USC physician) Dr. Carolyn Kaloostian; Anthony Cespedes, the health deputy for County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who presented an award to Public Health for training 503,840 Angelenos in Hands-Only CPR; and the family of Cash Hennessy, a young teen who survived a cardiac event with emergency hands-only CPR.
Clockwise from top left: CPR demonstration; community members explore health trainings; Narcan demonstrations by USC Mann School of Pharmacy students; Kristen McGowan of the LA Dodgers organizations learns Hands Only CPR; health science students learn about campus health resources.
Speaking of his cardiac event, which happened in 2022 when the then-13-year-old was playing during a football game, Cash Hennessy encouraged everyone to learn CPR. “This could happen to anyone, and learning CPR could save so many lives.”
Community members, including local USC health partners from Clinica Romero and the East Los Angeles Women’s Center, health sciences staff, students, and faculty all participated in the day, which included CPR training, tourniquet techniques, and Narcan distribution by the AAPP (American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists) student chapter in the USC Mann School of Pharmacy.
See coverage from Univision TV.
See the USC Annenberg Media story.