CPR, First Aid, ACLS and PALS Frequently Asked Questions

Inova is an American Heart Association (AHA) Training Center and we teach courses developed by the AHA using scientific based evidence. These courses include Basic Life Support (BLS), Heartsaver, Family and Friends, Infant CPR, ACLS and PALS. We offer in classroom style and Blended eLearning style (which is the combination of online and classroom learning).

• If you are required to take the course for your job or school, please ask your manager or school administrator the specific name of the course you are required to take for your job.
• Please read all the descriptions to see if the information presented helps you decide which class will meet your needs.
• If you have further questions, please call 571-472-1401 or email myinovawell@inova.org. Leave us your name, phone number and a detailed message. We will answer within 2 business days.

Call 571-472-1401 or email myinovawell@inova.org for all requests. Requests must be submitted 7 calendar days prior to the start of CPR and First Aid classes and 14 days prior to the start of ACLS and PALS classes. If you register within the cancellation period, a transfer or cancellation will not be allowed. Please carefully read the full Cancellation, Refund, Transfer and Weather Policy when completing your online registration.

If you register more than 7 business days prior to your scheduled class, your book will be mailed to you. If you register 7 business days or less prior to your scheduled class you can pick up your book in class or come by our office at 8100 Innovation Park Drive, Suite 100, Fairfax, VA 22031. If this process does not meet your needs, please schedule a class held at a later date.

• If you live in an apartment, the book may be too large for your mailbox. Please check with your apartment mailroom to see if they have the book.
• If your home mailbox is too small for your book, you may have received a slip from your local US Post Office asking you to pick up your book at the Post Office.
• Please call 571-472-1401 or email myinovawell@inova.org and leave your name, phone number, address where the book was to be sent and we will reply within 2 business days.

There is no wait list. We suggest registering for the next available class.

Yes, you will receive a confirmation in the form of an email immediately after your registration is complete. You must provide a valid email address. You will be asked to enter your email address two times to guarantee accuracy.

Your confirmation letter serves as your receipt.

Inova classifies seniors as individuals 65 and older. To receive a senior citizen discount you must type Senior in the discount code box when registering online. You will also be asked your date of birth. There are no discounts for ACLS and PALS classes.

Yes, Inova employees are eligible for the Wellness discount unless the course they are registering for is required by your job code (please see the Life Support FAQs for Inova Employees for more information). If the course is for your personal enrichment, you should type Wellness in the discount code box when registering online. You need to enter your employee ID number and full department code to complete the transaction. If you do not have either of these pieces of information, you will need to obtain them from your supervisor before completing your registration. Employee discount is for current Inova employee ONLY, no family members.

Please call 571-472-1401 or email myinovawell@inova.org and state your name and contact number as well as the reason for your request. A Life Support staff member will contact you within 2 business days and answer specific questions regarding class content.

Yes, please tell your instructor at the start of class that you need to have the manikin placed on the table to perform your CPR skills.

Infant CPR class registration is for one person, just like registration for all Life Support classes. If you and your partner are planning on attending a class together, please complete two registrations and pay the fee for each registration.

Yes. Information about class cancellations due to inclement weather or an area emergency can be obtained by calling the Inova Well weather hotline at 571-472-1438. Class cancellations due to inclement weather do not always follow local public school closings.

Yes, the phone line is 571-472-1401 and email is myinovawell@inova.org. Your message will be answered within two business days.

• Review the course details to find the class that meets your employment needs.
• After determining the best class for your needs, click on the Register link for the class.
• Select a class based on date, location and time; please review your choice and then click on register. For your department to be charged for the class you have selected, a discount code must be entered. The discount code you will enter if the class you have selected is required for your job is LS2016. You will then be directed to record your Employee ID# and Department Code.
• You will not be required to pay out of pocket as long as you have completed your discount code and employee information correctly.

• Your Job code will list what Life Support class or classes that your job requires.
• HR Policy 3036 will help you review job requirement needs.

• HealthStream is an online education system (sometimes referred to as an LMS - Learning Management System) used by Inova employees for some required online education in many areas.
• HealthStream allows Inova employees to register for the HeartCode BLS Online and HeartCode BLS Skills Validation courses in order to maintain a current BLS card.
• Inova Well is an Inova department that offers a variety of education and wellness experiences for the community and employees. These include Childbirth Education, Fitness, Health Coaching, CPR & First Aid, ACLS & PALS, WellBaby, Back Coach and various wellness screenings.
• Inova Well manages the skills check off sessions held monthly throughout the Inova System for those Inova employees who have completed HeartCode BLS online portion and have registered for a HeartCode BLS Skills Verification session.

• The most cost effective process for Inova employees to renew their BLS card is to complete HeartCode BLS Part 1 and register for a Skills Validation Session through HealthStream.
• You may take a community class to meet your job requirement and your department will be charged the full price of the class. This may be necessary if:
  • You have never taken an American Heart Association BLS for HCP class before.
  • Your American Heart Association BLS card has been expired for over a year.
  • The CPR card you hold is expired and not an American Heart Association BLS Card.
  • The CPR card you hold is not accepted by Inova for employment.

• Heartsaver courses are not available through HealthStream.
• You will need to register online at https:/www.inova.org/life-support and attend one of our community based classes and use the LS2016 discount code and your employee ID# and your Department Code in order to charge the classes to your department.

• There is no written exam.
• Two person CPR is not taught.
• Use of a barrier device is taught. Bag-valve-mask skills are not taught.
• Compression rates for age groups are the same for BLS and Heartsaver Courses..
• There is no renewal for Heartsaver classes; you must take the full class each time you need to update your certification.

• Heartsaver CPR AED with Infant Skills is the course required most often for Inova employees who are not required to have BLS certification.
• If you need to take a different Heartsaver course, please get the name of the course before you register.

• These online courses are not available through HealthStream
• To take HeartCode ACLS eLearning Program or HeartCode PALS eLearning Program, you need to complete your registration through www.inova.org/wellness/cpr-a-first-aid. We will email you your online code within three business days of your registration.
• Certificates of completion must be through the American Heart Association HeartCode ACLS or HeartCode PALS courses only and these courses are offered only at elearning.heart.org
• Registration is for a key code and a skills check off session.

• Your full name and address
  • Books will be mailed to this address
  • Use your home address; your Inova hospital address is not reliable and we will not mail to these addresses
• Your email address
  • This is a requirement for registration – we send you important course information by email
  • This should not be an Inova email address unless you open and read your Inova emails daily
• Your primary phone numbers (a number we can reach you or leave a message)
• Your department cost center
• Your employee ID number
• Your date of birth
• Your credentials, i.e. RN, BSN, RRT, MD, DO. EMT, etc.

• To obtain a refund for ACLS/PALS classes, a request must be submitted 14 calendar days prior to the start date of the class.
• To obtain a refund for all non-ACLS/PALS classes, a request must be submitted 7 calendar days prior to the start of the class.
• Materials and cost of books may be refunded if unopened, in usable condition and returned within two weeks of cancellation.
• Fees paid for online course key codes are not refundable after they have been issued.
• In order to reschedule a class or receive a refund within the minimum cancellation time frame (less than 7/14 days prior to start date), these conditions must be met:
  • A class is canceled by Inova due to low enrollment or weather
  • You have a documented medical condition verified in writing by a physician. Refund requests for medical reasons must be accompanied by a physician note and are considered on a case-by-case basis. Physician verifications should be faxed to 571-472-1437 or emailed to myinovawell@inova.org