Native healthcare govt to guide 2026 Alaska Heart Run & Walk and statewide push for CPR readiness

Anchorage, Alaska, June 15, 2026 — According to the American Heart Association, 9 in 10 individuals who endure cardiac arrest outdoors of the hospital die, and greater than half don’t obtain bystander CPR. CPR — particularly if carried out instantly — can double or triple an individual’s probability of survival. To assist enhance cardiac arrest outcomes in Alaska, Carrie Peluso, DNP, APRN, ACNS-BC, CENP, FAONL, FCNS, chief nursing officer of Providence Alaska, will chair the 2026 Alaska Heart Run & Walk, main an effort to rally firms and group members to boost vital funds and develop CPR training. 

Heart Walk is the most important community-facing initiative of the American Heart Association, a relentless drive altering the way forward for well being for everybody all over the place. Through fundraising, group training and company engagement, Heart Walk goals to make CPR training and coaching extra accessible, fund important analysis and drive equitable well being for all. 

Under Peluso’s management, prime executives in Alaska work to recruit different organizations to affix the Alaska Heart Run & Walk marketing campaign and proceed to construct a group of lifesavers. The 2026 Alaska Heart Run & Walk govt management crew consists of:

• April Park, Alaska Heart & Vascular Institute
• Brian Headdings, Matanuska Valley Credit Union
• Carrie Peluso, Providence Alaska – Chair
• Cecily Sheats, Creekside Surgery Center
• Chris Hoffman, Alyeska Resort
• Dawn McQuay, Santos
• Eric Rangel, Renewal by Anderson Alaska
• Lisa Joalin, Providence Alaska
• Lucretia Craig, Gemini Consulting
• Megan Piper, Providence Alaska
• Trevor Mclean, Anchorage Fire Department

According to the Heart Association’s 2024 CPR Perceptions Survey, 39% of individuals — or roughly 103 million U.S. adults — really feel “extremely confident” or “very confident” they may appropriately carry out CPR, up from 33% in 2021. That’s roughly 1.7 million extra adults who’re extremely assured of their means to conduct CPR, but 61% nonetheless lack excessive confidence to behave in a cardiac emergency.

“Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time and every moment matters when it does,” Peluso stated. “Having the confidence to perform CPR can make all the difference. We’re working toward a future where at least one person in every household in Alaska feels ready to act in a cardiac emergency. By joining the Alaska Heart Run & Walk, employers can help build a culture of preparedness, so their teams are equipped to step in and help save a life when it matters most.”

The Heart Association is a world chief in resuscitation science, training and coaching, and the official writer of CPR pointers. Through the Nation of Lifesavers™ motion, the Association is working to make sure that extra persons are able to carry out CPR and be an important hyperlink within the chain of survival, supporting its purpose of doubling the survival fee from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests by 2030. 

The Alaska Heart Run & Walk will happen on Saturday, September 19, 2026 on the Alaska Airlines Center. Over 1,000 contributors are anticipated to run or stroll in celebration of native survivors and the lifesaving progress made in Alaska. Companies concerned with collaborating can contact Alaska Heart Run & Walk Director, Deborah Rinckey at deborah.rinckey@coronary heart.org. Learn extra in regards to the occasion and register at AlaskaHeartRun.org.

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless drive for a world of longer, more healthy lives. Dedicated to making sure equitable well being in all communities, the group has been a number one supply of well being data for a couple of hundred years. Supported by greater than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking analysis, advocate for the general public’s well being, and supply vital sources to avoid wasting and enhance lives affected by heart problems and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing confirmed options in science, coverage, and care, we work tirelessly to advance well being and rework lives every single day. Connect with us on heart.org, on Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1. In Alaska, join with us on heart.org/Alaska, Facebook, Instagram or X.

For Media Inquiries:

Amber Moak, amber.moak@coronary heart.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org