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Building a Community of Lifesavers: Fox Cities Heart Walk Chair Michael Bergmann Takes the Lead

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

As the Fox Cities Heart Walk Chair for 2025, Michael Bergmann, president of Ascension -- Northeast Wisconsin Hospitals, is mobilizing local corporate leaders to build a community of lifesavers in the area. Led by Bergmann, top executives throughout northeast Wisconsin are uniting to recruit companies and organizations to join the Heart Walk, a year-round campaign aimed at raising funds to fight cardiovascular disease while equipping people with CPR education and resources.

The American Heart Association, which has been saving lives for more than 100 years, has put a spotlight on CPR education as a critical element of the Heart Walk campaign. According to the Association, nine out of 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, yet immediate CPR can double or even triple the chances of survival.

Bergmann and a team of top executive leaders are committed to ensuring that more people in northeast Wisconsin are prepared to respond effectively in life-or-death situations. "The Heart Walk gives people across northeast Wisconsin an incredible opportunity to take action on a critical health issue in our community," said Tracy Duerr, executive director of the American Heart Association in outstate Wisconsin. "Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere -- and survival often depends on someone nearby stepping in."

Key Takeaways:

  • The 2025 Fox Cities Heart Walk will be chaired by Michael Bergmann, president of Ascension -- Northeast Wisconsin Hospitals, with the goal of building a community of lifesavers in the area.
  • The Heart Walk aims to raise funds to fight cardiovascular disease while equipping people with CPR education and resources.
  • According to the American Heart Association, nine out of 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, but immediate CPR can double or triple the chances of survival.
  • The Heart Walk is a year-round campaign that drives corporate involvement in the fight against cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in Wisconsin.
  • The Nation of Lifesavers initiative, a national effort aimed at doubling cardiac arrest survival rates by 2030, will be supported by companies participating in the Heart Walk.
  • Sponsors of the 2025 campaign include Ascension, Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, and Gold Cross Ambulance.
  • Companies interested in participating can contact Mark Charter at Mark.Charter@Heart.org.

Statistics:

  • Nine out of 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die [Source: American Heart Association, Inc. Copyright 2017 Contify.com]
  • Immediate CPR can double or even triple the chances of survival [Source: Association of Bystander and First-Responder Efforts and Outcomes According to Sex: Results From the North Carolina]
  • The Heart Walk is active in more than 220 cities nationwide [Source: American Heart Association, Inc.]
  • The leading cause of death in Wisconsin is cardiovascular disease [Source: American Heart Association, Inc.]
  • The American Heart Association has been saving lives for more than 100 years [Source: American Heart Association, Inc.]

Sources:

  • American Heart Association, Inc. [Source: American Heart Association, Inc. Copyright 2017 Contify.com]
  • Association of Bystander and First-Responder Efforts and Outcomes According to Sex: Results From the North Carolina [Source: American Heart Association, Inc.]
  • American Heart Association Stats Update [Source: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001123]

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