N.C. hospital awarded $255K grant to install AEDs in churches

By Alan Bulluck
Jefferson Post

JEFFERSON, N.C. — Ashe Memorial Hospital (AMH) announced on Friday, Sept. 26 they have received a grant worth approximately $255,048, over the next three years, to implement Mission HeartStart.

According to its mission statement, Mission HeartStart project is designed to harness the strength of Ashe County’s large faith community to focus on early recognition of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), early and effective bystander CPR or CCC and decrease in “Down to Defibrillation” time.

It will do this by placing AEDs (Automatic External Defibrillators) and providing CCC/CPR-D (Continuous Chest Compression/Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation- Defibrillator) education in the larger churches, community centers and in strategically placed smaller churches in this sparsely populated, mountainous, rural county.

Each church and community center will receive a free AED with cabinet and rescue kit.

According to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, SCA is a leading cause of death among adults over the age of 40 in the United States and other countries. In the U.S. alone, approximately 424,000 people of all ages experience EMS-assessed out-of-hospital non-traumatic SCA each year (more than 1,000 per day) and nine out of 10 victims die. However, when bystanders intervene by giving CPR and using AEDs before EMS arrives, four out of 10 victims survive.

Mission HeartStart is a program funded through a grant to AMH from the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“We anticipate involving a total of 48 churches and community centers, each committing to train a minimum of 30 persons annually in CCC/CPR-D for a total of 1,440 community members each year, or a total of 4,320 persons - 16 percent of the total population (27,151), over the three-year grant period,” Project Director Patty Parsons said. “That’s a large number of HeartStart Missionaries!”

AMH, will serve as the lead agency for the Ashe County “HeartStart” partnership, which will include Wilkes Community College, Ashe County Emergency Management, Ashe Ministerial Association, Ashe Medics (contracted service provider) and Ashe Baptist Association. Laura Lambeth, CEO of Ashe

“The Mission HeartStart project will save lives in Ashe County to those who experience sudden cardiac arrest. Seconds are like hours to convert the rhythm of the heart, by having AEDs onsite it will bring that care immediately to the patient,” AMH CEO Laura Lambeth said in a statement.

Scheduling for the 24 larger churches and community centers this first year is currently in development.

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©2014 the Jefferson Post (West Jefferson, N.C.)