Oct. 21, 2009

CONTACT:
Communications Department
(320) 251-2700, ext. 74980

Heart Center, Take Heart St. Cloud donates life-saving devices to library

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The Central Minnesota Heart Center at St. Cloud Hospital and Take Heart
St. Cloud partnered to donate two automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) to the St. Cloud Great River Regional Library. The American Heart Association considers AEDs a major contributor to survival of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

Part of the systems-wide approach that Take Heart promotes is training people how to do cardiac pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to use an AED. Take Heart St. Cloud conducted a train-the-trainer session in October 2008 with representatives from all the regional libraries, who then went back to their respective libraries and trained their staff.

More than 75 AEDs have been donated by the Heart Center over the years and have been strategically placed throughout the St. Cloud area including: the fire and police departments in St. Cloud, St. Stephen, St. Joseph, Little Falls and Rice; the city halls in Sartell, St. Joseph, Waite Park, Sauk Rapids, St. Augusta, St. Cloud; and high schools including Tech, Cathedral, Sauk Rapids/Rice; and organizations such as CentraCare Clinic - River Campus and Bernick’s Ice Arena. Eight were donated to Coborn’s for their local grocery stores.

Approximately 95 percent of the people who have a SCA die before they get to a hospital. The Take Heart initiatives in St. Cloud and Anoka have raised the survival rate from 9 percent to 17 percent. Because of this success, they are expanding statewide in Minnesota.

Take Heart St. Cloud is an initiative to increase the survival rate from SCA, often confused as a heart attack. SCA is an electrical problem, a heart rhythm disorder that disturbs the pumping action of the heart, preventing blood flow throughout the body. A heart attack, referred to as a plumbing problem, occurs when a portion of the blood flow to the heart gets clogged and prevents oxygen to the heart muscle.

AEDs deliver a brief, but powerful, electrical shock to the chest, helping to restore the heart’s natural rhythm. During cardiac arrest, the heart can stop beating entirely causing blood flow to the rest of the body to cease. For the best survival opportunity, the heart should be restarted within 10 minutes and AEDs are the quickest and most efficient way to help save individuals.

If you would like the free 25-minute non-certified CPR/AED training, please call Susie at
(320) 251-2700, ext. 54174.

Learn more about Take Heart.

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