The Scientific Advisory Council
of the American Red Cross
is a group of individuals
who come together to lend
their expert opinion
and what we do is look at the
latest scientific information,
to make sure that it is
safe for our members,
but more importantly, safe
for the American public.
- Many of the people on the Council
are people that, I've read their papers,
I've seen them speak nationally.
- It's a multi-disciplinary
group of people
that crosses domains, from educators,
to researchers, to medical
clinicians, to administrators.
And it really is kind of
a dream team of people who
have some stake in the mission
of the American Red Cross.
- We exist to make sure that
the American Red Cross's
programs are data driven.
- We have great information
on resuscitation,
we have great information on first aid,
we have great information
on disasters, and aquatics,
but we now need to know
how to teach it to people.
- We are continually evaluating evidence
on different topics, and we
come out with recommendations
multiple times a year,
and these recommendations
are then used by different
organizations around the world.
- So we're looking at the
decisions that we've made,
the policies that are in place,
the programs that we're
offering, and trying to determine,
is that the best we can do?
Is that really best practice?
- At the American Red Cross we're trying
to bring people into the idea,
they can help when
an emergency happens.
And our effort to work with communities,
to effectively change people's behavior
is something I'm very proud of.
- It's high-quality instructors
delivering high-quality education
that makes all the difference in whether
the things that we do at the
Scientific Advisory Council,
make it out to actually touch
the patients we take care of.
- The American Red Cross mission is,
in my mind, the ultimate in volunteerism
to help people who are need.
- Every day I think we're saving lives.
Every day we're teaching
people how to swim.
It has a major impact
and I think that's why
all the members of the council
take this very seriously
and do a wonderful job with it.
- Every time we come, we
meet every six months,
there's something new.
And we're really focusing
on making a difference,
and I love that about the
Scientific Advisory Council.
- We're only just beginning
to see the possibilities
of what can happen when you
really get good science
and good evidence injected
into some of these programs.
- It's great discovering new knowledge,
but this knowledge is no good
just in a stale scientific journal.
You gotta get it in the public's hands
and the American Red Cross,
Scientific Advisory Council
is doing just that.
