Photo by HSIMS Andrew Healey

By Sharon Gray
Fourth-year medical student Andrew Healey has been teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) since he was 17, and his volunteer commitments to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador earn him high praise from that organization.

“Andrew has been a volunteer with our organization for the past several years and has been chair of our provincial Emergency Cardiac Care Committee for the past 18 months,” said Steve Browne, executive director. “He has been a strong advocate for the foundation on provincial emergency cardiac care initiatives and has represented the organization at national board of directors meetings, at the provincial Department of Health and to various community service groups in this province.”

Mr. Healey said he has always been interested in pursuing a career in emergency medicine and while attending Mount Alison University in New Brunswick for his undergraduate degree he took a course to qualify him as a trainer of CPR instructors. Throughout medical school he has continued to teach two instructor courses a year, 10-15 CPR courses, and advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS).

Becoming involved with the provincial Heart and Stroke Foundation was a natural step. “Andrew is a resourceful and creative individual whose attributes have been recognized by our national office insomuch as the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada has requested that he participate as a member of the National Emergency Cardiac Care Branding Taskforce and the National Emergency Cardiac Care Planning and Advisory Committee representing the Atlantic Canada region.”

Mr. Healey said the biggest project he undertook as a volunteer with the foundation was writing a policy manual to incorporate all the policies regarding aspects of all emergency cardiac care programs. The final version of the manual is due to be approved in early February. “I think it will do a lot for quality assurance in the province.”

Mr. Healey is pleased with what he’s accomplished as a volunteer with the provincial Heart and Stroke Foundation and said Newfoundland’s expertise in education in this area is being increasingly recognized by the national foundation. “We’ve just spent a huge amount of time revising the advanced life support exam and I think in 2006 they will implement our exam nationally. A lot of the work done here can be adopted nationally.”

In the immediate future, Mr. Healey will be busy completing his education — a residency in emergency medicine, he hopes.