It is hard to believe when our founders, Shelley and Chad Lynch, established ALCS Academy in 2014, by October 2023, over 25,000 students would have passed the threshold at one of our three Boston training centers in the greater Boston metropolitan area. We are so proud to have provided life-saving skills training to so many students from a broad swath of backgrounds – from medical professionals on the front lines in hospitals, medical centers, paramedics, and caregivers to non-medically trained individuals like parents, lifeguards, fitness instructors and the average person who wants to be prepared should a medical emergency present itself.

A Deep Desire to Empower More Individuals in Lifesaving Techniques

The genesis of ACLS Academy was based on Shelley's life-changing experience in 2014. As a practicing critical care nurse at the time, Shelley was collecting her baggage at Logan Airport when she noticed an airport employee on the floor in cardiac arrest. Shelley’s nursing instincts took over, and she saved the man’s life.

After Shelley confirmed that someone had called 911, she checked the man for a pulse, called for a defibrillator, and began CPR. As she administered compressions, the man went from sheet white to pink. When the defibrillator arrived, Shelley directed and worked with the Massachusetts State Police to shock the patient, keeping him alive until paramedics arrived. As she was leaving, a police officer asked her name and where she worked.

Shelley never learned the man’s name, but her efforts earned her a nomination as a Nurse Hero by Nurse.org for the First-Pitch Nurse Hero contest sponsored by the Boston Red Sox. During the annual Nurse Appreciation Night at Fenway Park, she was among 1,400 nominees and one of ten finalists honored in the spring of 2018 as Nurse Heroes.

After this event, Shelley felt deeply that more people should know what to do in such an event. When she brought this up to her husband, Chad, who was in the United States Coast Guard, he was entirely on board with starting a company to empower others with the knowledge and ability to respond to save a life.

The Evolution of ACLS Academy

Now, nine years since the launch of ACLS Academy, Shelley and Chad’s personal and professional life has progressed spectacularly. Shelley has received her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill and teaches in the Family Nurse Practitioner and Doctorate program at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. Chad focuses full time on the management and growth of ACLS Academy, along with being a United States Coast Guard Reservist in his “spare” time.

ACLS Academy launched as an American Heart Association (AHA) training site with the motto “By Providers, For Providers.” It started with twelve experienced instructors specializing in AHA ACLS, PALS, BLS, NRP, and Heartsaver classes. Today, ACLS Academy has assembled a network of over twenty-five instructors who are passionate about educating others. These instructors are some of the leading medical professionals in their field and have won numerous awards for their service to the healthcare community. What makes ACLS Academy unique is the quality of its instructors who are still practicing at the bedside, including ED Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists in Critical Care, Critical Care Nurses, Respiratory Therapists, Paramedics, and PACU Nurses. Another ACLS Academy differentiator is their students absolutely gush about the instructors, their expert knowledge, and their ability to simplify and present the material practically and meaningfully. Students constantly repeat these words about the instructors: Professional, Friendly, Knowledgeable, and Fun. Just read some of the Google and Facebook online reviews to see the comments firsthand.

Another ACLS Academy accomplishment for which Shelley and Chad are immensely proud is their designation this year as an AHA Training Center.  There is seemingly an endless number of AHA training sites, but only a select few can use the title of AHA Training Center after passing the AHA audit and meeting all requirements. The American Heart Association has established a fleet of Training Centers to help deliver Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) educational courses. This fleet of Training Centers helps strengthen the Chain of Survival by monitoring the proper administration and quality of the Emergency Cardiovascular Care Courses.

AHA Training Centers are certified businesses that work closely with the American Heart Association to provide the utmost care and education when teaching others American Heart Association courses like Heartsaver CPR, BLS, ACLS, PALS, PEARS, and more. ACLS Academy and all AHA Training Centers must adhere to rigorous guidelines and hold integrity in their business practices while facilitating quality education.

ACLS Academy prides itself on making all students feel comfortable, whether locals or out-of-towners. They are grateful to have impacted so many students and look forward to training the next 25,000 students. So, when it is time for your next recertification, take a course with ACLS Academy for a positive training experience leveraging our limitless pool of expertise. Learn more about our course offerings here!