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River Springs Water Park receives AED donation from Owatonna Hospital
OWATONNA, Minn 05/12/2009--Thanks to Owatonna Hospital's Heart Safe Communities project, the new River Springs Water Park in Owatonna has an automated external defibrillator (AED) onsite. Since February 2006, Owatonna Hospital has placed more 33 AEDs in Owatonna
The hospital's Heart Safe Communities project is an Allina Hospitals & Clinics system-wide initiative to increase survival from sudden cardiac arrest. The goal is to place AEDs in public facilities like schools, senior centers, libraries, and government buildings, as well as to provide training to help community members respond to sudden cardiac arrest.
Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in the United States, striking more than 450,000 people a year. The most effective treatment for sudden cardiac arrest is an electric shock to the heart, called defibrillation. This "shock" is administered by an AED. The AED comes with voice prompts making it easy for the lay rescuer to save a life.
Owatonna Hospital is helping to raise money to equip all First Responders, public schools, public buildings and community activity sites with AEDs. Each Heart Safe Communities AED package costs $2,200 and includes the AED, a wall mount cabinet, CPR/AED training for five people, a site assessment, medical prescription and program oversight.
Through this project, nonprofit organizations and public government buildings are given an opportunity to purchase an AED at half-price ($1,100). AEDs are placed as funds are raised. Sudden cardiac arrest is the single leading cause of death in the U.S. striking more than 1,000 American's each day. Whether victims survive sudden cardiac arrest depends on how quickly they can be defibrillated. The shorter the time from collapse to defibrillation, the better chance for survival. For more information on placing an AED in your community, school or business, or on making a donation, call 507-444-6085.
About Owatonna Hospital
Part of Allina Hospitals & Clinics, Owatonna Hospital is a not-for-profit hospital committed to providing exceptional care and improving the health of the communities it serves in and around Steele County. Owatonna Hospital provides a full range of health care services including a birth center, emergency care, surgery and rehabilitation.
Allina is building a replacement hospital in Owatonna, off Interstate 35 and will open Oct 17, 2009. The facility is being designed to create an environment for providing high quality, safe, patient-centered care for residents in the region.
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