BUSINESS PROFILE: "History of Save-A-Heart “The CPR Pros”
 

  Save-A-Heart “The CPR Pros”  was founded by JC and Carlette Anderson. They created this business because they knew they could teach CPR in a shorter period of time than what the American Heart Association and American Red Cross were teaching. Carlette is a Health and Physical Education teacher and taught CPR for the American Heart Association. Her husband JC has a degree in Business. They combined their talents and created a successful business. 
  Carlette would come home from those 4 hour classes and say to JC, “I know I can teach CPR in less time and make it easier to remember.” JC said to her, “Why don’t we start our own CPR business?” So on March 12, 1988  Save-A-Heart was born.  
They immediately registered their name and logo with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and established an Advisory Board. They have two advisors. Michael DeBakey, MD Chief of Cardiology, Baylor University Medical Center in Houston and Jaime Bustamante, MD from the Oshner Clinic in New Orleans LA.
  When they first started their business it was not easy. Neither had a job, at the time, so it was vital that they scheduled enough classes each month to pay their bills. They were renting a house, raising four children,  had one car, one telephone, one typewriter and one manikin. Carlette started by calling all the preschools in the yellow pages. They liked the idea of a 1.5 hour CPR class and many scheduled a class.
  Just recently an article was published regarding the number of hours for a CPR class. On November 13, 2005 Jaime Stengle from Associated Press wrote an article titled, “Research Shows 20 Minute CPR Class Works.” This is some of what was written. “Too busy to take a four-hour CPR course? New research shows the lifesaving procedure can be effectively taught in a little more than 20 minutes. The finding, presented Sunday at an American Heart Association meeting in Dallas, could broadly expand the number of Americans who can perform CPR.
  "It's brilliant," said Dr. Lance Becker, director of the Emergency Resuscitation Center at the University of Chicago. "I think it's going to make our ability to train people much, much easier."
The study, led by Dr. Ahamed Idris, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, found that just five minutes of training on defibrillator use and 20 minutes of instruction in CPR was as effective as the standard four-hour course.”
  The Andersons laughed about this article and said. "It is about time the rest of the CPR community finally realize that it is not necessary to keep people in a 4 hours CPR class." They were very glad to hear about this new research because they have been criticized about their shorter program.
 On April 3, 1997 an article was written in the San Diego Union Tribune by Ed Mendel  about their shorter program. It was titled, “State halts some CPR training by Alpine Firm.” In the article it said, “The state said Save-A-Heart The CPR Pros, operating in San Diego County and other areas of Southern California, marketed a short course and skimped on the hours.”… Why does it have to be hours Anderson said. ‘Why can’t we be judged on the content of our classes?”  
  That day they lost all of their Preschool clients because they were not teaching a 4 hour CPR class. The Anderson’s and the preschool teachers were very upset. The teachers loved their shorter program and hated the idea of having to go back to those longer classes. Fortunately the preschools were just a small part of their client base but they were their first clients and some of those preschools were with them from the very beginning. 
Dr. DeBakey wrote a letter to the Andersons after that article came out. He said, “In response to your question concerning the hours spent in a cardiopulmonary resuscitation class, the most important criterion is the method of instruction. Accordingly, the number of hours is less important than the quality of the instruction.” 
  The Andersons are pioneers in their industry and today they have five instructors, one office person, 70 manikins, 6 AED machines and their own home. They feel very blessed and thank all of their clients for their success.