Resuscitation Council US
(RCUS ahr-kus)
seeks to transform scientific evidence into useful insight for the diverse communities affected by cardiac arrest.
A single cardiac arrest…
…affects more than just the person experiencing it. The impact is felt by their families, lay rescuers, professional first responders, and health care providers— often profoundly, regardless of outcome.
With more than half a million cardiac arrests occurring each year in the United States alone, an estimated 2.5 million people need trusted resources that foster understanding to reduce uncertainty and fear of the unknown in the face of this life altering event.
Bridging the gap
Ongoing advances in resuscitation science promote survival and survivorship after cardiac arrest. However, the bridge between these scientific developments and its community stakeholders is lacking. This breach in communication leads to significant information gaps, poor health-literacy, and misinformation among people affected by cardiac arrest.
RCUS aims to decode the scientific evidence into lay-friendly language and blend this information with lived experience. We are committed to making these resources accessible to the diverse communities impacted by cardiac arrest.
Our guiding values
RCUS is dedicated to addressing the enormous impact of cardiac arrest on individuals and society. We deliver trusted and targeted resources, developed through stakeholder collaboration with multiple national partners to improve the life of anyone affected by cardiac arrest.
Our flagship initiative
Serving as the parent organization, the RCUS flagship initiative is ourheartsight.com. Launched in September 2023, Heartsight’s mission is to provide a free, high-quality, comprehensive, accessible online resource that combines evidence-based content and lived experience insights aimed at reducing uncertainty and psychological distress for anyone affected by cardiac arrest. Heartsight content and interface capability are co-created by an all-volunteer, multidisciplinary, diverse team of patient-family stakeholders, lay rescuers, first responders, clinicians, and researchers.
How we are structured
RCUS is governed by a diverse, multidisciplinary board of directors and officers representing clinical, research, corporate, and non-profit experience. They ensure the operational, research, and content integrity of the organization as well as a shared-values-driven culture. In addition, we will initiate cooperative affiliations with other organizations that further the mission.
Sachin Agarwal, MD, MPH, FAHA (he/him)
RCUS President & Executive Director
- Founding member, Heartsight
- Associate Professor of Neurology & Neurocritical Care at Columbia University, New York
- Director NeuroCardiac Comprehensive Care Clinic (N4C)
- Director Community Development, Resuscitation Education & CPR Training
- Specialize in outcomes research & behavioral intervention development
Jen Chap, BS (she/her)
RCUS Secretary
- Founding member, Heartsight
- Co-founder, StrataVerve— a strategic marketing & insights practice since 1999
- Co-founder, BuddyCPR— advocacy raising awareness & understanding of cardiac arrest, CPR & AEDs
- Specialize in consumer insights, product development, strategic planning, & brand marketing for Fortune 500 companies, startups, & non-profits
Katie Dainty, PhD (she/her)
RCUS Board Member
- Founding member, Heartsight
- Research Chair, Patient-Centred Outcomes, North York General Hospital
- Associate Professor & Co-Director, Health Services Research Program, University of Toronto
- Specialize in qualitative research & guideline development
Anagha Dutt, MBA, MS, CPA (she/her)
RCUS Treasurer
- Founding member, Heartsight
- Head of Accounting at Nirvana Tech, Inc., an insurance tech startup based in San Francisco
- Visiting accounting faculty at DeVry University
- Specialize in working with high-growth startups & non-profits
Kelly Sawyer, MD MS (she/her)
RCUS Board Member
- Founding member, Heartsight
- Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
- Associate Chief for ED Experience, UPMC Emergency Department
- Post Cardiac Arrest Service team member, UPMC Presbyterian hospital
- Specialize in cardiac arrest systems of care
Pallav Sharda, MBA, MS, MBBS (he/him)
RCUS Board Member
- Founding member, Heartsight
- Chief Product Officer, Carrum Health
- Guest Lecturer, San Jose State University, California
- Co-Founder, Aabhaar— a non-profit supporting education for financially disadvantaged children
- Specialize in health information technologies & product development
Jasmine Wylie, BA (she/her)
RCUS Board Member
- Founding member, Heartsight
- Administrator of the largest online community of cardiac arrest stakeholders
- Citizen CPR Foundation 40 under 40
- Specialize in peer support & community engagement
How you can help
The best way to support RCUS is to support Heartsight, our flagship initiative.
We pride ourselves on being a transparent organization and we want you to know how we allocate the resources so generously entrusted to us. You can view our important tax and financial documents here.
Where your money goes
Resuscitation Council US (RCUS) is a registered 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. Your gift to RCUS is tax-deductible.
EIN #92-3257908