Dr. Stewart joins the American Heart Association in engaging companies in Eastern Connecticut to create a community of lifesavers
According to the American Heart Association, 9 in 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of the hospital die, and more than half don’t receive bystander CPR. CPR — especially if performed immediately — can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. To help improve cardiac arrest outcomes in Eastern Connecticut, Dr. Derek Stewart, occupational medicine physician at General Dynamics Electric Boat, will chair the 2026 Eastern Connecticut Heart Walk, leading a year-round effort to rally companies and community members to raise critical funds and expand CPR education.
Heart Walk is the largest community-facing initiative of the American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere. Through fundraising, community education and corporate engagement, Heart Walk aims to make CPR education and training more accessible, fund vital research and drive equitable health for all. Under Stewart’s leadership, top executives in Eastern Connecticut will work to recruit other organizations to join the local Heart Walk campaign and build a community of lifesavers.
“Cardiac arrest can strike anyone at any time, and the outcome often comes down to whether someone nearby knows what to do,” Stewart said. “We envision at least one person in every household feeling confident to perform CPR. By joining Heart Walk, employers can help ensure that when it matters most, their employees are prepared to act during a cardiac emergency.”
With the support of General Dynamics Electric Boat as the onsite CPR Experience and Signature Sponsor of the Eastern Connecticut Heart Walk, every participant and every dollar raised will help fuel vital research, expand Hands-Only CPR training and create more lifesaving moments across Connecticut communities.
According to the Heart Association’s 2024 CPR Perceptions Survey, 39% of people — or approximately 103 million U.S. adults — now feel “extremely confident” or “very confident” they could correctly perform CPR, up from 33% in 2021. That’s roughly 17.7 million more adults who are highly confident in their ability to conduct CPR, yet 61% still lack high confidence to act in a cardiac emergency.
“While we’re extremely proud of the progress that’s been made over the last several years, our work is far from over,” said Francine LoRusso, board chair for the American Heart Association – Connecticut, and senior vice president of Heart and Vascular Services, Medicine Services, Yale New Haven Health. “Dr. Stewart’s commitment to making the Eastern Connecticut region a safer, stronger community is proof they’re the right person for the role. We’re looking forward to seeing incredible results from this year’s Heart Walk campaign and hope the community will join us in making it a success.”
The Heart Association is a global leader in resuscitation science, education and training, and the official publisher of CPR guidelines. Through the Nation of Lifesavers™ movement, the Association is working to ensure that more people are ready to perform CPR and be a vital link in the chain of survival, supporting its goal of doubling the survival rate from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests by 2030.
The Eastern Connecticut Heart Walk, presented by Nation of Lifesavers Platform Sponsor, Yale New Haven Health Heart and Vascular Center, will take place on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at the University of Connecticut Avery Point Campus in Groton. An estimated 600 participants are expected to walk in celebration of local survivors and the lifesaving progress made in the community. Companies interested in participating can contact local Heart Walk Director, Genille Gordon, at Genille.gordon@heart.org. Learn more and register at www.easternctheartwalk.org.
