UAMS Donation Provides Students at Malvern High with CPR Training
| June 18, 2026 | When Malvern High School students return to class this fall, they’ll be able to learn hands-on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills that could also benefit the community, thanks to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).
Nikki Smith, executive director of the American Heart Association (AHA) in Little Rock, said the American Heart Association (AHA) recently delivered a CPR kit to the school on behalf of UAMS, as part of UAMS’ $50,000 sponsorship of the AHA’s community programs in 2025.
The AHA offers sponsorship programs for corporate partners and philanthropic individuals who want to support heart health in Central Arkansas.
“They can sponsor some of our community impact programs, like CPR readiness,” Smith said. “We are grateful for the support, because we’re trying to increase bystander CPR readiness knowledge and practice. We would like for one member of every household in Arkansas to know hands-only CPR.”
The kit includes 10 inflatable life-sized head and chest manikins, as well as kneel mats, replacement airways, USB drives with training videos, hand pumps, wipes, automated external defibrillator (AED) training simulators, storage bags, a wheeled carry bag and an information sheet with resources in English and Spanish.
The manikins provide an opportunity for students to practice CPR compressions on a realistic model.
“The CPR in Schools with First Aid Training Kit can be used to teach students, school faculty and staff, and parents/families from the school community,” according to the AHA website. “The kit is easy to use and designed so that anyone, from a lay person to an experienced AHA instructor, can use it to teach the skills of CPR, AED use, and basic first aid.”
“As a cardiac nurse and healthcare leader with more than 35 years of experience, I have seen firsthand how immediate CPR can make a difference between life and death,” said Roger Swayze, RN, administrator of the cardiovascular clinical services at UAMS.
“We selected Malvern High School for this donation because we wanted to ensure these life-saving resources reach a school that could truly benefit from them,” Swayze said. “As a resident of the Malvern community, it is especially meaningful to know these students will now have hands-on training that could one day help save the life of a family member, friend, teammate, or neighbor.
“Investing in CPR education,” Swayze added, “is an investment in the health and safety of the entire community. It’s UAMS’ mission to improve the health and well-being of all Arkansans, and teaching life-saving CPR skills to students is one way we can empower communities to make a difference where it matters most. This donation reflects UAMS’ mission.”
The AHA said that the kits reflect the latest science in its guidelines for CPR and emergency cardiovascular care, as well as the American Red Cross guidelines for administering first aid.
“We want everyone to feel comfortable doing hands-only CPR, because seconds count while waiting for an AED or paramedics,” Smith said.
The Heart Association encourages bystanders to act during a suspected cardiac arrest. Smith said the AHA tells bystanders to call 911, then start compressions, or if an AED is available, call someone to request it before starting compressions.