Online ACLS, BLS, and PALS Certification for Oklahoma Medical Professionals
Unfortunately, Oklahoma falls below the national average in all health categories studied in a 2012 ranking of America’s healthiest states. Thus, the state is the 43rd healthiest state in the nation.
The Sooner State falls into the bottom five states in three health categories. These groups are the incidence of high cholesterol at 41 percent, the frequency of smoking at 26.1 percent, and the occurrence rate of 80 primary care physicians for every 100,000 residents. In Oklahoma, 745,000 adults smoke. The limited presence of primary care doctors, high occurrence of obesity, sedentary lifestyle and diabetes, along with a high rate of cardiovascular deaths contribute to the state’s low overall ranking. ACLS providers in Oklahoma carry a heavier burden than most other states.
On a positive note, Oklahoma does carry a low incidence of infectious disease and a low frequency of binge drinking. And in the last five years the preventable hospitalization rate fell from 95.9 to 81 discharges per 1,000 residents enrolled in Medicare, which is still very high in comparison to other states.
Per capita public health funding also declined in the past year from $113 to $95. But low birth weight among infants increased from a rate of 7.4 percent to 8.4 percent. In this past year, the frequency of children under 18 years old who live in poverty dropped from 25 percent to 20.7 percent.
Oklahoma currently relies on 102 short-term general hospitals equipped with 16,801 staffed-beds to attend to the state’s more than 3.7 million residents.
When Oklahoma’s healthcare providers become certified in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), quality of care will improve, which will positively influence outcomes for critically ill or wounded children and infants. Individuals who are employed in intensive and critical care units, emergency medicine, and emergency response—like nurses, paramedics and doctors—will develop new aptitudes in PALS courses.
Oklahoma residents can also acquire emergency care training when they successfully complete Basic Life Support (BLS). Teachers incorporate videos and lectures into the course. Students learn when is the best time to begin rescue breathing and the correct methods to do so. Detailed steps concerning one and two person resuscitation teams are available in the BLS “Chain of Survival.”
Learning proper techniques on how to administer chest compressions on infants, children, and adults are critical aspect of BLS training. Emergency medical skills, which include handling and locating Automatic External Defibrillators (AED), are taught to individuals during class.
Oklahoma providers have to demonstrate knowledge of adult pharmacology, ECG Rhythm Recognition, BLS, and airway management and equipment before they can complete Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) training. Although BLS principles are not covered in the class, ACLS tests require students to be familiar with BLS. ACLS highlights high quality CPR, BLS and ACLS Surveys, ACLS cases for specific disorders, and post cardiac arrest care.
Oklahoma locals can rely on ACLS PALS, and BLS providers during medical emergencies.
Oklahoma needs more certified ACLS providers!
For more information regarding ACLS, BLS, or PALS testing, explore ACLS Medical Training today!
Incidence of heart disease: 4.9%
Incidence of myocardial infarction (heart attack): 5.3%
Incidence of stroke: 3.4%
Incidence of obesity: 31.1%
Incidence of diabetes: 11.1%
Incidence of high cholesterol: 41.8%
Incidence of high blood pressure: 35.5%
Incidence of smoking: 26.1%
Incidence of low birth weight: 8.4%
| Population of Oklahoma | 3,751,351 |
| Number of short-term general hospitals in Oklahoma | 102 |
| Number of staffed beds in Oklahoma | 16,801 |
| Number of primary care physicians in Oklahoma | 80.2 per 100,000 |
