2010 News Archive
Johns Creek welcomes 1st Heart Ready Company
Ciba Vision recognized by American Heart Association
11/1/2010
The City of Johns Creek congratulates Ciba Vision on being named an American Heart Association Heart Ready Company, the first in Johns Creek and one of only three in Georgia.
Ciba Vision became Johns Creek's first Heart Ready Community Partner, Oct. 25. Pictured left to right, Nurse/Practitioner Martha Freeman, Fire Chief Joseph Daniels, EMS Coordinator Tonya Whiten, AHA Senior Director of EMS Mike Willingham, VP Helen Cuddy, Director of Corporate Services Bob Barnes, Mayor Mike Bodker, Emory Johns Creek Hospital Interim President/CEO Jim Thweatt and Nurse/Practitioner Dana Hickman.
"This Heart Ready designation is due to the hard work and dedication of Ciba Vision in their commitment to training their employees in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and strategically placing automated external defibrillators on their corporate campus," said AHA Senior Director of Emergency Medical Services Mike Willingham. "More people than ever are able to provide assistance in heart and stroke emergencies thanks to the commitment of community partners like Ciba Vision."
Since being named Georgia's first Heart Ready City in 2008, Johns Creek has encouraged its residents and local businesses – through its Heart Ready initiative – to become better trained and equipped to handle cardiovascular emergencies.
"When we approached Ciba Vision, they were eager not only to know what they could do to enhance the safety program they had in place, but also take the lead in the Johns Creek business community. Their support of the city's program early on, and their own proactive stance on employee health and wellness, speaks to how fortunate we are to have them in our city," said Mayor Mike Bodker.
Over a 12-month period, Johns Creek Firefighters helped train Ciba Vision employees in CPR and AED techniques, and advised the Novartis company on how many additional AEDs they needed to purchase and where to place them on their 77-acre, worldwide headquarters in Johns Creek Technology Park.
"Heart Ready meshes perfectly with our local programs of preventive care, as well as emergency response in the event of cardiac arrest involving our employees or guests at the Johns Creek campus," said Ciba Vision's Director of Corporate Services Bob Barnes. "We are very grateful to the city and especially to the Johns Creek Fire Department for its invaluable assistance, and hope to see others in the business community seek this designation."
Based in Johns Creek for over 20 years, Ciba Vision has formed an integral partnership with the community, and quickly embraced the Mayor's 2008 Heart Ready challenge to the business community.
"It is my hope that other businesses will see that if a company as large as Ciba Vision can successfully achieve Heart Ready status, they too can take that step towards protecting their workplace and their workers," said Bodker.