May 15, 2007

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

Take Heart St. Cloud receives $20,000 grant from Boston Scientific

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – CentraCare Health Foundation recently announced that the Take Heart
St. Cloud , Sudden Cardiac Arrest Initiative received a grant for $20,000 from the Boston Scientific Foundation.

Take Heart St. Cloud is a part of a multi-city initiative called Take Heart America with Austin, Texas, and Columbus, Ohio, to improve cardiac survival rates in the United States. The focus of the program is to combine the various methods for survival into a comprehensive continuum of care in an effort to positively effect survival and quality of life after cardiac arrest.

The implementation for Take Heart St. Cloud began in August 2006. Partnerships were established with CentraCare Health Foundation, St. Cloud Hospital, St. Cloud Technical College, Gold Cross/Mayo Emergency Transport, the cities of St. Cloud, Sartell, Sauk Rapids, Cold Spring, St. Joseph and Waite Park; School Districts ISD 742, 748, 750, and 47; local service organizations such as Rotary Club; and Volunteer First Responders.

“Our initial experiences in our school systems have been rewarding, as we have witnessed our youth being empowered by their newly acquired life saving skills,” said Janet Steinkamp, TakeHeart St. Cloud coordinator. “This is especially poignant in our youth from economically disadvantaged families and households, where such education has resulted in increased self esteem and interest in health care related education.”

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