Dip to Black: SCA Foundation National Spokesperson Susan Koeppen to Deliver Keynote Address at Emergency Cardiovascular Care Update

PITTSBURGH, PA--The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation will be participating once again in the Emergency Cardiovascular Care Update, a biennial conference of the Citizen CPR Foundation, scheduled for June 3-6 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The SCA Foundation will be presenting sessions related to the prevention and treatment of sudden cardiac arrest in youth and sessions focused on survivors of cardiac arrest and their loved ones. In addition, the SCA Foundation will announce the winner of its People Saving People Award and the ECCU Video Minute Contest.

Susan Koeppen, a news anchor at Pittsburgh's KDKA TV, mother of three, and sudden cardiac arrest survivor, will deliver a keynote address to kick off the conference. Koeppen serves as National Spokesperson for the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation.

Following are descriptions of sessions in which the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation plays a role.

Dip to Black: An Inspirational Glimpse of Sudden Cardiac Arrest from the Patient’s Point-of-View


A nationally known, award-winning journalist, Susan Koeppen co-anchors the weeknight editions of KDKA-TV News, a CBS station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at 6 and 11. In 2011, Susan suffered a cardiac arrest while training for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon. She received CPR from two medical students who were driving by, and firefighters shocked her heart with an AED. Susan was given hypothermia treatment post-cardiac arrest in the hospital. She currently has an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Susan has since become a major advocate for citizen CPR and public access defibrillation. Koeppen shares her emotional story of survival and how she helps teach others the importance of CPR.

Addressing the Needs of Survivors and Loved Ones


Thanks to medical advances and community involvement an increasing number of people are surviving sudden cardiac arrest. This small but growing community has unique needs often unmet by the medical community. Many survivors are beset by depression, anxiety, memory loss and financial hurdles. This session will feature the results of qualitative research among survivors and loved ones, followed by a focus group discussion among survivors, loved ones and healthcare professionals.

Preventing and Treating Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Youth

There is nothing more tragic than the death of a young person. Conversely, there is nothing more joyful than saving hundreds of young people with great SCA prevention and treatment programs. This panel of leaders in the field of SCA in youth will review information about the history of CPR-AED programs aimed at schools, including the history of Project ADAM, the outcomes thus far and the lessons learned as we go forward.

National Overview of CPR/AED Component for K-12
 Schools

CPR and AED use is not just for grown-ups. This session will focus on a discussion related to a national overview related to CPR/AED in schools as both health education and wellness components with a concentration on K through 12 schools and national databases.

People Saving People Award 

Friday, June 6, 11:20 AM - 12:00 PM

For information, click here.

ECCU Video Minute Contest 

Friday, June 6, 11:20 AM - 12:00 PM

For information, click here.