On July 1, the Jewish Orthodox Women’s Medical Association (JOWMA) presented an educational event, “CPR for Parents.”Bryana Toran, creative director of JOWMA, coordinated the onsite details. The event was co-sponsored by Holy Name Medical Center, and facilitated by Moshe Jacobs and Debbie Ross, Holy Name community representative. The event was held for residents and caregivers of young children of the One500 residential community in Teaneck.
The CPR course was taught by longtime critical care nursing professional Rachel Kieffer, MSN, RN. She is a CPR instructor with 30 years’ experience, in addition to having considerable professional and “real-life” experience in the use of CPR. She currently serves as a critical care clinical coach and is an educator with the professional practice department at Holy Name Medical Center.
Kieffer explained and demonstrated the skills of identifying and responding to a breathing and/or cardiac emergency regardless of cause and whether the event was witnessed or discovered later. Those in attendance learned the procedures and skills of infant, child and adult CPR, how to administer CPR alone and if working in pairs, and procedures in case of a choking emergency. She also clarified the procedure for when a small child or adult has a pulse, but is not breathing. CPR is not performed on anyone who has a pulse.
Next Kieffer detailed the difference between gagging (identified by coughing or making noises) versus choking, the essential difference being the inability to make sound because no air is getting into the lungs, and therefore also can’t get out, which is how sound is generated. She then explained and demonstrated how to address each situation. Following each demonstration, the residents had a chance to practice on special CPR training mannequins, while Kieffer assessed whether the skills were applied correctly.
She then moved on to explain how an AED (automated external defibrillator) works and how to use it. For each of the emergencies described, Kieffer instructed on the recommended timing during any of the emergencies for when to call the EMS (emergency medical service). In Teaneck and many local municipalities the EMS of choice is either 911 or Hatzalah. Especially important to also understand: to return to performing breathing support, choking support or CPR as long as it is required after making that call; and to continue until emergency professionals or another qualified person steps in to replace or assist you. It’s also a good idea to program the contact numbers for Hatzalah and/or 911 into your phone for a one-touch call.
A local EMT/Hatzalah volunteer noted that in addition, people can use the audio function Siri on certain phones to issue a voice command to make the emergency call. That leaves them free to continue with uninterrupted rescue support. One-touch calling or voice commands are a helpful option because the average person responding to these kinds of emergencies could become panicked and have trouble remembering details such as phone numbers or how to look them up.
For some, the event served as a refresher course, and for others it served as their initiation to this type of training.
Moshe Jacob, a resident of One500 and one of the event hosts, commented: “The CPR course organized by JOWMA in collaboration with Holy Name Hospital was extremely helpful and informative. I appreciate JOWMA for facilitating this important health training for our Teaneck community, and I look forward to future JOWMA events.”
About 35 residents attended, most of whom were young couples with young children, or soon-to-be parents. Emily and Elan Balk thought the class was an incredibly valuable experience. “The skills we learned could make all the difference in an emergency, and it’s empowering to be equipped to help save a life. The instructor was knowledgeable and made the material accessible for everyone. It’s a ‘must-attend’ for any parent or caregiver.”
Keili Heller heartily agreed. “Having an 8-month-old who is experimenting with solids, this was an extremely important and empowering class.” Michael Golbari added his perspective: “Being a father, and working in the food industry, I developed lifelong skills that shaped both my personal and professional life.”
JOWMA’s Toran shared: “A choking or unresponsive child is every parent’s nightmare. This course not only gave attendees the skills and confidence on how to respond in an emergency situation, but it also highlighted JOWMA’s crucial role within the Jewish community: facilitating connections between parents and medical providers who are there to answer their questions and understand their needs.”
JOWMA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 to support a network of Jewish women physicians and to provide health education, outreach and advocacy on behalf of the Orthodox Jewish community. The organization hosts educational events and programs on a variety of health topics including: pediatrics, wellness, women’s health, teen health, mental health, preventative health and more.
To learn more about JOWMA’s educational programs and events, and to bring them to your community, please email [email protected] or visit www.jowma.org.
