If a school, employer or licensing agency tells you to take an “AHA class,” AHA means the American Heart Association. The abbreviation matters because CPR courses from different organizations are not automatically interchangeable.
The safest way to register is to match the exact course name and issuing organization in your paperwork. If the requirement is vague, ask the person receiving your card to clarify it before you pay for a class.
Why does the issuing organization matter?
A course completion card identifies both the course and the organization that issued it. A school or employer may request a specific combination, such as AHA BLS Provider or AHA Heartsaver CPR, AED and First Aid.
“CPR certified” does not tell you enough by itself. Confirm:
- the exact course name;
- whether the card must be issued by the American Heart Association;
- whether First Aid is also required;
- whether hands-on skills must be completed; and
- when the certification must expire.
The school, employer or agency makes the final acceptance decision. A training provider can explain its courses, but it cannot change someone else’s requirement.
What is AHA Heartsaver?
The American Heart Association describes Heartsaver courses as training for people with little or no medical training who need CPR, AED or First Aid instruction for work, regulatory requirements or personal preparedness.
LP Health Directions offers a four-hour AHA Heartsaver CPR, AED and First Aid class for $60 in Phoenix and Tucson. It includes adult, child and infant skills and provides a two-year AHA eCard after successful completion.
What is AHA BLS Provider?
AHA BLS Provider is designed for healthcare professionals, trained first responders and people in healthcare training programs. It includes high-quality CPR, AED use and team response skills for adults, children and infants.
LP Health Directions offers BLS Initial and BLS Renewal classes in Phoenix and Tucson. If your paperwork says BLS Provider, Basic Life Support or healthcare provider CPR, do not assume a general CPR course will satisfy it.
What does blended learning mean?
AHA courses may be offered in a classroom or in a blended format. Blended learning combines online modules with an in-person skills session. Completing only the online portion does not complete a course that requires hands-on skills.
For a blended appointment with LP Health Directions, complete the online modules before you arrive and bring the completion certificate. If you already purchased and completed the correct modules, you can book the $50 skills assessment. If you need LP Health Directions to provide the modules, the total is $100.
The American Heart Association calls its blended BLS course HeartCode BLS. Heartsaver also has blended options, but “HeartCode” is the BLS product name. Compare LP Health Directions blended options.
How can I check an AHA eCard?
The American Heart Association provides an online eCard verification page. Students can use it to find or verify an issued card, and schools or employers can use the card information to confirm it.
Choose the right class before you book
Read your requirement word for word. If it says AHA, make sure the course you select is identified as American Heart Association training. Then match Heartsaver or BLS and confirm whether you need a classroom or blended option.
LP Health Directions is an AHA Training Site with scheduled classes in Phoenix and Tucson. Compare the course choices, or send us the wording from your requirement if you need help understanding the options.
Sources
- American Heart Association Heartsaver courses
- American Heart Association BLS course options
- American Heart Association eLearning and blended learning
- American Heart Association eCard verification
Reviewed September 14, 2026. Course acceptance is determined by the school, employer, licensing agency or other organization receiving the certification.