“Immediate care is imperative when someone is having a cardiac issue,
most notably sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). These events happen to people
of all ages when we least expect them, and being prepared is the only
safety mechanism middle schools have to care for students in need,”
said Carl Becker, RT(R), (CV), Director, Angiography Services at CVMC.
“Having the ability to offer these devices to area middle schools
puts CVMC in a great position to save even more lives in Catawba County.
Working with Marcus Osborne, LAT, ATC, CVMC’s Director of Sports
Medicine, we have been able to identify those schools most in need throughout
the county.”
The American Heart Association reports 295,000 cases of SCA happen each
year. SCA is identified as an unexpected stoppage of the heart, and requires
immediate attention from an AED for survival to be possible. Established
partnerships between CVMC and area school systems brought the need for
AEDs to the forefront. Catawba County high schools have already been outfitted
with AEDs, but the need in area middle schools still exists. The donations
by CVMC are the first in what is expected to be a number of AED gifts
to area schools. CVMC also has an agreement to train school staff members
on how to properly operate the machines if the need exists.
“The time is now to provide schools with these devices,” said
Becker. “Throughout my 25- year career working in cardiology, I
have noticed that AEDs are not always a luxury schools have available.
Taking care of children needs to be a priority, and donating these AEDs
should increase the likelihood that a child would survive a heart related
failure, including SCA, in Catawba County.”
About Catawba Valley Medical Center
Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory, N.C., is the region’s largest
not-for-profit, public healthcare system and serves the community without
direct funding from taxes. CVMC provides and promotes physical, mental,
emotional and spiritual well-being of the public in addition to serving
as a center for health education, wellness services, preventive medicine
and acute care. CVMC has received three Magnet designations from the American
Nurses Credentialing Center and has been recognized with two Women’s
Choice Awards, being named one of America’s Best 100 Hospitals for
Patient Experience and a 2013 Best Hospital for Patient Experience in
Obstetrics by WomenCertified®. For more information, please visit
http://www.catawbavalleymedical.org.