Chaining Maine's SCA Pains

SCAA Affiliate Donates AED to School

The TCSLINKTONEWS[8323,Western Maine affiliate,layout_details] of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA), Med-Care Ambulance, in collaboration with Defibtech, has selected the Community Concepts Chisholm School to be the recipient of an automated external defibrillator (AED) which will be presented to Michelle Sprague, program director at an event on October 6th, 2009

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the nation's leading cause of death, resulting in more than 300,000 fatalities each year - exceeding the death rate of lung cancer, breast cancer and HIV/AIDS combined. Only about five percent of SCA victims survive. SCA is caused by an electrical malfunction of the heart, which results in rapid and erratic heart rhythm and then the heart's failure to beat. Through immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the shock of an automated external defibrillator (AED) the heart's natural rhythm can be restored and the victim revived. However, an AED shock is most successful if delivered within the first 7 minutes of the cardiac arrest event. After a more extended period, the heart may not respond to the AED shock, or if it does, the victim could experience brain damage and other complications due to the lack of blood and oxygen flow.

In honor of National AED/CPR Week which was June 1st-7th, Defibtech, a leading manufacturer of AEDs, donated equipment to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association so that its chapters and affiliates could award AEDs to community facilities and locations in need of a life-saving device. Med-Care Ambulance selected Community Concepts Chisholm School as the River Valley recipient.

"Looking geographically at the River Valley and the Non-profit entities within our area it was very logical to consider the Community Concepts Chisholm School as the recipient of this AED. The school and staff do so much to support the vision of healthy families and overall well being for children. Services are tailored toward low income families but they also offer a host of programs to the general public as their mission is as follows: Head Start and Early Head start, Family programs including Children's behavioral health, counseling and support and numerous housing services. There are more than 500 volunteers that help Community Concepts meet its mission on an annual basis. In following with our goal to implement AED's in public places while working hard today for a safer tomorrow we are proud to be deploying this one to the Community Concepts and Chisholm school" said affiliate leader, Laurieann Milligan.

"I am very pleased that we have received an AED that we can place in a school within our community. This is one more layer of protection for all of the children, parents, and educators that walk through those school doors every day. This grant will allow us to distribute our 53rd AED and to create a new partnership with an organization. It is great to know that through our Community Outreach Program in conjunction with SCAA and Defibtech we can provide Community Concepts and the Chisholm School staff with the tools and training to save a life in the event of a cardiac arrest event at their location,"said Med-Care Ambulance's Director of Operations and Chief of Service Dean Milligan.

On this day Community Concepts Chisholm School will take one step closer to making a difference in their staff, children's, and overall community healthy well being. The presentation took place on October 6th, 2009 . Join us in congratulating Community Concepts Chisholm School in taking this proactive measure in fighting this nation's leading cause of death.

"Our singular purpose in partnering with the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association is to strengthen the ‘chain of survival' for sudden cardiac arrest victims," said Greg Slusser, Defibtech's vice president of sales and marketing. "Through these donations, the critical time from when a victim suffers SCA to when they receive medical intervention with an AED will be decreased in the communities where they are deployed. We are proud to support the SCA in its mission to spread the word that sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause death in the U.S. and only through public access defibrillation programs can more lives can be saved."

For more information, please contact Laurieann Milligan at laurieann.milligan@med-careambulance.com.

Outlining the heart shape; children, staff, volunteers and Med-Care duty crew Captain Berta Broomhall & EMT Norman St. Pierre. Inside the heart shape site manager receiving the AED Michelle Sprague and deploying the AED SCAA Leader Laurieann Milligan

(left to right) SCAA Leader Laurieann Milligan, Site manager Michelle Sprague, Captain Berta Broomhall and EMT Norman St. Pierre depicted in photo Med-Care Ambulance with SCAA logo.

(left to right) Chief Med-Care Ambulance/SCAA Affiliate Leader, Site manager Michelle Sprague, Captain Berta Broomhall and EMT Norman St. Pierre depicted in photo Med-Care Ambulance with SCAA logo