Gannett Employees Win Citizen Valor Award
McLEAN, VA – Kathy Bibik, R.N., lead nurse for employee health services, and Joe Vida, program director for Health/Works, Nov. 24 received Citizen Valor awards from the Fairfax County, Va., Fire and Rescue Department for saving the life of a co-worker.
On July 14, Bibik and Vida administered CPR and used an automated external defibrillator (AED) to revive USA TODAY News International Editor Fred Anklam (center), who suffered cardiac arrest shortly after exercising in the Health/Works facility at Gannett/USA TODAY corporate headquarters
Anklam was unresponsive and “clinically dead” when Bibik and Vida revived him, Bibik said.
“Your timely assessment and action resulted in the successful revival of the patient,” said Fire Chief Michael P. Neuhard. “Your quick thinking and heroic actions helped save the patient’s life.”
The corporate health facility has been equipped with a defibrillator since 1995. The device is used to shock the heart back into a normal rhythm in the event of a cardiac arrest. Gannett and USA TODAY have 27 AEDs placed throughout their headquarters.