UnityPoint Health–St. Luke’s Hospital, through St. Luke’s Foundation, has announced the recipients of 56 AEDs and 92 Stop the Bleed kits through its Heart Saver program.
The AEDS and Stop the Bleed kits were awarded to area first responders, ambulance crews and non-profit organizations in Benton, Jones and Linn counties. To see the full list of recipients, visit here.
Last fall, St. Luke’s announced the Heart Saver program and invited area organizations to apply to receive an AED, a Stop the Bleed Kit, or both. The Heart Saver program is an effort to place AEDs and Stop the Bleed first aid kits into the community, to save lives through early intervention of cardiac arrest and traumatic injuries.
Sudden cardiac arrest is a life-threatening condition caused by the unexpected loss of heart function. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Heart Association (AHA), 70% of cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital, and 70-90% of those individuals die before reaching the emergency room. Alternatively, nine out of 10 cardiac arrest victims who receive a shock from an AED in the first minute live.
In the event of a traumatic injury, a person can die from blood loss within minutes. Stop the Bleed is a national movement, which educates and arms bystanders to address a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives.
Organizations receiving these lifesaving devices were chosen via an application through St. Luke’s Foundation with the goal of providing the devices to organizations that did not have one and would serve the most people.
“AEDs and Stop the Bleed kits are critical for individuals who are in a life-or-death situation,” said Michelle Niermann, UnityPoint Health – Cedar Rapids president and CEO, in a news release. “Having quick access to these tools allows regular citizens to take action to help save a life and start care before an EMS crew arrives.”
The donation, funded by St. Luke’s Foundation, is valued at over $100,000. Each recipient organization will receive training from St. Luke’s and Simulation in Motion – Iowa (SIM – IA) staff on CPR, AED use and how to Stop the Bleed.
“We are proud to support the Heart Saver program,” said Mary Klinger, St. Luke’s Foundation president. “Health care workers dedicate themselves to saving lives and this was another way we could give back to our community in a way that would make a meaningful impact.”
