The Montreal Heart Institute acquires a new, digital resuscitation training and education program — a first in Quebec
MONTREAL, January 15, 2025 — The Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) becomes the first healthcare facility in Quebec and the first specialized hospital in Canada to adopt the Resuscitation Quality Improvement® (RQI®) program. This cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training program, co-developed by the American Heart Association® and Laerdal Medical, offers a digital learning solution. The program delivers cognitive and hands-on CPR training that measures and verifies a staff member’s competence and performance in short sessions every quarter.
The importance of CPR training lies in the need to remain current and compliant in the skills that are essential to help save lives. Studies show that CPR skills can deteriorate within three to six months of training. Knowing that, in the event of cardiac arrest, every minute that passes reduces the chance of survival by seven to 10%. Rapid and appropriate intervention can make all the difference.
The RQI program provides real-time feedback on the employee’s performance through the RQI Simulation Station, for example, by instructing him or her to increase the pace or power of chest pressures. This helps to assess whether CPR is being performed properly. The simulation station then spends a score on the employee. This is the latest digital CPR training technology of its kind available today. What’s more, as the equipment is mobile and easy to move around, employees on each care unit will now be able to practice and self-assess every three months. Ultimately, the MHI plans to train more than 700 nurses and orderlies over the coming year.
“The Montreal Heart Institute is always looking for new opportunities to achieve its staff training objectives,” said Nesrine Ragguem, President and CEO of MHI. “The RQI program provides us with modern, standardized, and accessible CPR training, making it easier and more effective to train our staff. We are eager to leverage this new program to ensure that our resuscitation skills continue to meet the highest standards of excellence in patient care, thereby improving survival chances in cases of cardiac arrest. We would also like to warmly thank the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation for its continued support, which makes it possible to realize essential initiatives like this one, benefiting both our team and our patients.”
In 2018, the American Heart Association and Laerdal Medical, two global leaders in resuscitation science and education and technology and implementation, respectively, called for a renewal in standards of care by proposing that CPR practical training and skills be conducted and verified quarterly rather than every two years.
“We are delighted that the Montreal Heart Institute has answered this call and is adopting the RQI program by working with the American Heart Association, Laerdal Medical and RQI Partners to move to a new standard of resuscitation care,” said Gareth Patrickson, senior vice president of international customer impact at RQI Partners. “The Montreal Heart Institute has made high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation a priority and joins our commitment to ensuring that all healthcare professionals in every community are competent and confident in their resuscitation skills to save more lives during cardiac arrest. We congratulate the MHI on marking this first in Quebec and Canada and look forward to cultivating a relationship rooted in resuscitation excellence and collaboration.”
Read the entire press release, in English and French, from the Montreal Heart Institute on their New Releases page.
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About the Montreal Heart Institute
Founded in 1954, the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) continuously strives for the highest standards of excellence in the cardiovascular field through its leadership in clinical and fundamental research, ultra specialized care, professional training, and prevention. It is home to the largest cardiovascular research center, the largest cardiovascular prevention center, and the largest cardiovascular genetics center in Canada. MHI is affiliated with the Université de Montréal and has more than 2,000 employees, including 245 physicians and over 85 researchers. www.icm-mhi.org
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a tireless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are committed to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with many organizations and supported by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for public health and share vital resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for a century. In 2024, our centennial year, we celebrate our rich 100-year history and achievements. As we move into our second century of bold discovery and impact, our vision is to improve health and hope for everyone, everywhere.
About Laerdal Medical
Laerdal is dedicated to its mission of saving lives. Laerdal Medical is a global leader in health education and resuscitation training, using immersive technologies and data-centric analytics to increase the chances of survival and improve the quality of healthcare. We empower our heroes/saviors and healthcare professionals to help save more lives. Improving the quality of care is part of our mission, to help save more lives. And we’ve set a goal to help save one million more lives every year by 2030. But we can’t do it alone. It’s a goal shared by the Laerdal Group, a group of companies that develops healthcare-related solutions and programs focused on a common mission to help save lives, together with our partners. The Laerdal Group comprises Laerdal Medical, Laerdal Global Health, Million Lives Fund and Laerdal Foundation. Laerdal is a global company present in 26 countries with headquarters in Stavanger, Norway.
About RQI Partners LLC
RQI Partners LLC, a partnership between the American Heart Association and Laerdal Medical, positions organizations to deliver innovative solutions that accelerate the impact of their lifesaving mission. The company combines the Association’s leadership in resuscitation science and education with Laerdal’s expertise in technology and implementation to deliver impactful and innovative resuscitation quality improvement programs.
