State Rep. Tarik Khan and state Sen. Art Haywood on March 31 honored Cindy Zimmerman, manager of the emergency department at Temple Health-Chestnut Hill Hospital, for her off-duty life-saving efforts, pulling over to the side of the road and performing CPR on a woman in distress.

On behalf of the General Assembly, Khan and Haywood presented Zimmerman a citation “honoring your incredible work, your heroism and providing for the people in our Commonwealth who needed it at a time of need, for stepping in, for showing us what it truly is to be a nurse,” said Khan, a nurse practitioner.

Zimmerman had been driving home when she noticed two turnpike workers helping a woman who was in distress. She pulled over and began administering CPR to the woman, who had no pulse but eventually began to stir.

“While some people were driving by, Cindy saw this person that was slumped over, and knew that something was wrong. And so instead of driving by like a lot of us may have done, and gone out about our day and gone home after a day of work, she decided to stop,” Khan said. “Because of her quick action, and her using those assessment skills, and her deciding to do the right thing, to stop and provide aid, you saved someone’s life.”

For a full story on Zimmerman’s efforts, read Maggie Dougherty’s March 12 story, “Chestnut Hill Hospital nurse saves driver on Pa. Turnpike.”