CardioReady® Certification assures that clubs have a best practice cardiac emergency readiness plan in place, including proper placement of automated external defibrillators (AEDs)
West Chester, Pa. – August 12, 2009 – CR Certification Corporation and The Preferred Club Program® (www.preferredclub.com) announced today that 54 U.S. golf and country clubs have completed or are currently undergoing the assessment for CardioReady® Certification, assuring they have a best practice cardiac emergency readiness plan in place that includes the proper placement of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
Golf courses are among the American Heart Association’s top five locations for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) events due to time of day and risk profile. The most likely occurrence of an SCA is between 6 and 11 a.m., when patrons are most likely on a golf course, and 50 percent of golf patrons are now over 56 years of age, the demographic at highest risk. However, if an AED is properly administered within 3-5 minutes of SCA collapse, the chance of survival increases from 5 percent to more than 70 percent.
CardioReady® Certification was introduced to the golf and country club industry through a partnership between CR Certification Corporation, the leading provider of independent auditing and certification of cardiac emergency readiness programs, and Venture Insurance Programs, which provides insurance and risk management services to approximately 1,000 golf and country clubs nationwide through its Preferred Club Program® (www.PreferredClub.com).
Among the first four golf and country clubs to earn CardioReady® Certification are Awbrey Glen Golf Club in Bend, Ore., and Prairie Dunes in Hutchinson, Kan.
“These golf and country clubs have taken the lead in making certain their members can enjoy the safe and responsive environment that CardioReady Certification ensures,” said Nat Brinn, CEO and President of CardioReady. “The 54 clubs having earned or currently undergoing assessment are just the beginning of what we hope will be a nationwide trend of golf and country clubs providing their members and guests with the benefits of CardioReady Certification.”
CardioReady’s certification process incorporates the American Heart Association’s automated external defibrillator (AED) program recommendations and includes a comprehensive assessment of each facility to determine the placement and number of AEDs required. It also provides customers with a cardiac emergency readiness plan model selection analysis, a customer help line, coordination of CPR/AED staff training, physician oversight, a customized online inventory and planning system, and cardiac emergency incident reviews.
CardioReady helps golf and country clubs install and implement AEDs so trained employees can help prevent deaths from sudden cardiac arrest–which occurs with relative frequency on the golf course. When a customer completes the program, CR Certification Corporation certifies the facility as CardioReady® and provides a custom-made certification plaque.
Additional benefits of the CardioReady® Certification include:
- Logo identification that a facility is ready to respond to cardiac emergencies posted to the CardioReady® web site.
- Assuring compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
- Reducing exposure to potential liability for failure to provide an AED program consistent with best practices, guidelines, statutes and regulations.
- Annual review for re-certification and assurance that facilities remain “rescue ready.”
- Providing facility risk and safety professionals a set of standards to support recommendations for best practices management.
About Venture Programs
Venture Insurance Programs (www.ventureprograms.com) is a leading program administrator that designs, underwrites and distributes industry-specific insurance packages including the Preferred Club Program (www.preferredclub.com). Based in West Chester, Pa., Venture has underwriting alliances with the world’s leading carrier groups, including Chubb, CNA, Fireman’s Fund, The Hartford, OneBeacon, RSUI, Travelers, USLI, Zurich North America and Lloyd’s of London. Founded in 1993, Venture provides specialty insurance packages for select vertical industries, including golf and country clubs, golf destination resorts, technology and biotechnology companies, hotels, restaurants, and marinas.
About CardioReady Certification Corporation
CR Certification Corporation (“CardioReady”), in collaboration with the American Heart Association, works with industry-leading entities in the markets it serves to reduce death from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) through the education, certification, and promotion of the proper implementation and usage of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). CardioReady is a Federally registered certification mark owned by CR Certification Corporation, and the company is an exclusive licensee of AED Patent Holdings, LLC. For additional information, go to www.cardioready.com / info@cardioready.com.
