AHA Courses

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How long are the BLS, ACLS and PALS certifications good for?

2 years - expires the last day of the month the course was taken

How long is the NRP certification good for?

2 years - expires 2 years the last day of the month the course was taken

Where can I find the schedule of upcoming courses?

All of our courses may be found on this website (www.communitymed.org) under Education - AHA Courses. Click on the course name to see dates, registration/fee information, agenda and additional information. You may also view the courses by month using the Calendar feature.

How do I know which course is right for me?

Finding and taking the right course is very important! Check out the 2 categories on our website (www.communitymed.org) under Education - AHA Courses - "Which CPR or First Aid Course Is Right For Me?" and "Which ACLS, PALS, or NRP Course Is Right For Me?" to see course descriptions and pre-course requirements.

Are there other places where I can take a class through American Heart Association?

Yes. The American Heart Association has Community Training Centers (CTCs) throughout the nation that deliver courses. Community Medical Center is one of those Training Centers (learn more about Our Training Center). Below you will find the MT/ID region roster of Training Centers.

Training Center Contact List.

Are the American Red Cross (ARC) and American Heart Association (AHA) courses the same?

While the ARC and AHA develop the content of all courses based upon the 2005 ECC Guidelines, there are differences in the course agendas, printed materials, and format. A Statement of Understanding (SOU) was released to define the relationships between the courses. Highlights of this statement are below (from www.americanheart.org). Please note: This is not a reciprocity agreement.

The ARC accepts the AHA Heartsaver CPR, AED, and BLS HCP cards for 1 year, and HS First Aid for 3 years, and allows the holder to enter an ARC renewal course
AHA recognizes the ARC cards for the period written on the card: 1 year for ARC CPR courses and 3 years for First Aid
AHA Heartsaver CPR or AED card holders may take an ARC CPR renewal course during the 1^st year of their AHA CPR or AED card
AHA first aid card holders may take an ARC first aid renewal course up to 3 years from the date the card was issued
AHA Heartsaver courses do not have a renewal agenda, so ARC students will be taking a regular course; this means there are no special circumstances for these courses
Students with an ARC CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer card that is still current (1-year period) may enroll in an AHA BLS HCP renewal course during that 1-yeard period

What certifications are required to work at Community Medical Center?

Please check the job description of the position you are applying for to see BLS, ACLS, PALS, and/or NRP certifications that may be required. Go to Careers at CMC.

If you are required to have BLS, we accept current AHA Healthcare Provider CPR (2-year certification) or current ARC CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer (1-year certification). Please note: ACLS, PALS, NRP, EMT, or other certifications do not substitute for Healthcare Provider level BLS certification.

Do you hold classes for a group of non-employees (such as a workplace, students, daycare, etc.)?

BLS (CPR and First Aid courses) - Yes, we can work with you to set up a CPR and/or First Aid class. Setting up a class like this depends on the size of the group and equipment, conference room and instructor availability. Please review the Course Descriptions to see which course would be most appropriate for your group.

If you have a group of people that need a CPR and/or First Aid class, please email mphillips@communitymed.org with the following information: name, contact information, desired location for the course, number of participants, type of class needed, and when you would need the course. Fees may vary depending on the instructor, equipment and material needs, number of students, and location of course.

ACLS/PALS/NRP Courses - Please contact the mphillips@communitymed.org for information on scheduling an ACLS, PALS, or NRP course for your organization.

Are there self-learning or computer options for any of these courses?

Yes, there are self-learning and computer options for some of the AHA courses. These courses are purchased directly from the approved distribution companies and some may require additional in-person skills testing.

Please be aware:

Additional fees may apply for the skills testing to cover instructor and equipment costs
Not all AHA Training Centers offer the skills testing portion
Not all online courses are the same. The AHA self-learning/online courses are only available through the following distributors. If you find a course that is not from one of these distributors, then it is not likely to be an approved course for AHA certification.

The approved AHA distributors are: www.eworldpoint.com, www.aha.channing-bete.com, or www.laerdal.com. Here are the self-learning and online programs currently available:

Self-Learning/Online CPR/First Aid

Community Medical Center does not offer skills check off for any online or self-directed learning courses at this time. Contact other Training Centers:

Heartsaver AED Anytime^TM - Online and in-person certification program. For those lay responders (personal trainers, teachers, coaches, construction, childcare, etc.) that want certification, but prefer to do in a non-traditional setting. Students learn adult CPR in less than 30 minutes using a DVD and personal manikin and learn AED skills in under 45 minutes using a computer-based CD-ROM. After completing these portions, student prints out a certificate and scheduled a skills session with a AHA BLS or Heartsaver Instructor. Skills testing = approximately 30 minutes. Certification card is issued after successful completion of skills. Cost of kit = approximately $65-70. Cost of skills testing varies as per instructor and equipment fees. Includes:

An American Heart Association Heartsaver AED Student Workbook
Heartsaver AED Anywhere software
Pocket mask and non-latex gloves
A personal, inflatable CPR manikin
CPR Skills Practice DVD

Heartsaver First Aid Online^TM- Online and in-person certification program. For those lay responders (personal trainers, teachers, coaches, construction, childcare, etc.) that want certification, but prefer to do in a non-traditional setting. Student completes the online portion, prints out a certificate and scheduled a skills session with a AHA BLS or Heartsaver Instructor. Certification card is issued after successful completion of skills. Cost of online portion = $25. Cost of skills testing varies as per instructor and equipment fees.

Heartsaver First Aid Online with CPR and AED Renewal ^TM- Online and in-person certification program. For those lay responders (personal trainers, teachers, coaches, construction, childcare, etc.) that need to renew their Heartsaver CPR/AED certification, but prefer to do in a non-traditional setting. Student completes the online portion, prints out a certificate and scheduled a skills session with a AHA BLS or Heartsaver Instructor. Certification card is issued after successful completion of skills. Cost of online portion = $35. Cost of skills testing varies as per instructor and equipment fees.

BLS Healthcare Provider (HCP) Renewal Online^TM- Online and in-person certification program. For experienced healthcare providers (physicians, nurses, etc.) that need to renew their Healthcare Provider CPR certification, but prefer to do in a non-traditional setting. Student completes the online portion, prints out a certificate and scheduled a skills testing session with a AHA BLS instructor. Certification card is issued after successful completion of skills testing. Cost of online portion = $17.50. Cost of skills testing varies as per instructor and equipment fees.

Self-Learning/Online ACLS/PALS/NRP

Community Medical Center does not offer skills check off for any online or self-directed learning courses at this time. Contact other Training Centers: Training Center Contact List

HeartCode ACLS Anywhere^TM- Online and in-person certification program. For healthcare providers requiring ACLS certification or recertification but prefer to do on their own time. Provider purchases the HeartCode disk or online program and completes on own time. Providers are allowed 32 hours to complete the program. HeartCode ACLS contains all of the lessons from the ACLS texts. Students can review all of the topics on which they need to spend more time. HeartCode ACLS includes all of the exams required for successful completion of the ACLS Program. Continuing Education credits available for certain disciplines for the online portion. Provider completes the online portion, prints out a certificate and scheduled a skills testing session with a AHA ACLS instructor or on an ACLS HeartCode manikin system. Certification card is issued after successful completion of skills testing. Cost of online portion = approximately $120. Cost of skills testing varies as per instructor and equipment fees.

There are currently no self-learning or online options for PALS courses.