Chicago Health Leader's Campaign Expands CPR Training and Blood Pressure Monitoring Across Communities

Laura Merrick, winner of the American Heart Association's 2025 national Leaders of Impact campaign, has raised more than $380,000 to expand CPR readiness and blood pressure monitoring across Chicago communities. Her initiative responds to stark statistics showing more than 350,000 sudden cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals annually in the United States, with 90% proving fatal according to the 2023 American Heart Association Stats Update.

Merrick's personal motivation stems from her mother's survival of cardiac arrest thanks to bystander CPR intervention. "My mother survived cardiac arrest because a bystander knew CPR," Merrick explained. "I kept asking myself: What can we do to make sure more families get that same chance to keep someone they love?"

The campaign's centerpiece involves placing blood pressure hubs in 18 community-based organizations throughout Chicagoland. These hubs provide free blood pressure monitors, American Heart Association educational materials on proper self-measurement techniques, interpretation of blood pressure readings, and local medical provider contact information. The implementation occurs through Embracing Community Care, a local American Heart Association initiative designed to fund equipment and resources that improve community health.

Additionally, a self-measurement blood pressure kiosk will be installed in Chicago to teach community members about hypertension monitoring and management. This automated resource represents a scalable approach to addressing what Merrick calls "the silent killer" of high blood pressure.

Beyond blood pressure monitoring, Merrick's campaign enables 18 Chicago organizations to implement Cardiac Emergency Response Plans. These comprehensive plans include CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) training for staff, volunteers, and community members serving on Cardiac Emergency Response Teams. The initiative directly addresses cardiovascular disease, which remains the leading cause of death in the United States according to Heart and Stroke Association Statistics.

"I want to continue strengthening readiness, especially in communities historically left behind," Merrick stated. "That means advancing CPR and AED access, improving hypertension awareness, expanding blood-pressure monitoring, and helping schools and organizations build Cardiac Emergency Response Plans. My goal is to make lifesaving preparedness a standard - not an exception - across Chicago."

The Leaders of Impact competition involved more than 300 local nominees and 1,200 Impact Team members across 72 communities nationwide. During the seven-week campaign from September 18 to November 5, volunteers educated communities about heart health while raising funds for the American Heart Association's scientific research, CPR education expansion, and equitable healthcare access initiatives.

Lee A. Shapiro, J.D., volunteer chairperson of the American Heart Association, acknowledged the campaign's significance: "The Leaders of Impact campaign involves incredible changemakers, like Laura, who are tirelessly supporting heart health. Laura and her fellow nominees have made a significant impact in their communities, spearheading the efforts that will result in better heart and brain health."

Merrick's approach emphasizes community-based solutions that address health disparities through practical interventions. By training more responders, increasing monitoring access, and implementing emergency plans, the campaign aims to create systemic change that could reduce cardiac arrest fatalities and improve hypertension management across diverse Chicago neighborhoods.