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Allina's Heart Safe Community Partners

Wright County Heart Safe Initiative
(April 2005) Buffalo Hospital Foundation and Cardiac Center, Allina Hospitals & Clinics and the Community Health Foundation of Wright County have teamed to raise funds to place AEDs and conduct school and community-based AED training in 17 communities including  Albertville, Annandale, Big Lake, Buffalo, Dassel/Cokato, Delano, Hanover, Howard Lake, Maple Lake, Monticello, Montrose, Rockford, St. Michael, South Haven, Waverly, Watertown/Mayer and Winsted.  Nearly 70 AEDs have been placed in community gather places in and around Wright County.  Questions about the Wright County Heart Safe initiative can be directed to the Buffalo Hospital Foundation at 763-684-6800.  Read more  

Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport 
( January 2003) Allina Medical Transportation and United Hospital's John Nasseff Heart Hospital in St. Paul have ensured that anyone who suffers sudden cardiac arrest at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport now has an increased chance of survival. With support from the United Hospital Foundation, 65 automated external defibrillators were installed in strategic locations throughout the main airport complex and surrounding airport locations. Installation was completed in June of 2003. In 2002, emergency teams responded to more than 2,000 medical calls at the airport, many of them cardiac related. This Heart Safe Communities program is a partnership among United Hospital Foundation, Allina Medical Transportation, the Medtronic Foundation, Minneapolis Airport Foundation and the Metropolitan Airport Commission Fire Department.

The City of Elk River, Minnesota
Steve Ditbenner, Director of Elk River Ambulance, is the driving force behind the success of Elk Rivers' Heart Safe Communities program. Ditbenner launched the Elk River program by hosting a press conference to highlight the donation of an AED to Elk River by the Mercy & Unity Hospital Foundation. The result was an article which ran in the local paper encouraging community donations to support the purchase of additional AEDs. Within two weeks of the announcement in the community paper, Ditbenner received enough money to purchase 12 AEDs. To date, AEDs have been placed in Elk River schools, Otsego Elementary School, Elk River library, ice arena and city hall as well as one for utilization by the Elk River Fire Department. Phase II of this program will focus on AED placement in local businesses and Phase III will offer grants to non-profit groups such as houses of worship and private schools. To date, 12 AEDs have been placed in various businessess throughout Elk River.

Ditbenner's passion for AEDs was well-placed as the life-saving power of this device affected him first-hand. On December 30, 2002, two months after completion of Phase I of his program, his father suffered Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) in a restaurant in Excelsior. An AED saved his life.

School District 112 (Chaska Area Schools)
School District 112 gave students a special gift in December of 2002; 14 automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Following the Jan. 2002 death of a 14 year-old ninth-grade wrestler during his match at the Chaska Invitational Meet, District 112 officials clearly understood how precious a few minutes can be in a life-threatening situation. While it is unclear if an AED could have saved this young life, the incident motivated District 112 to contacted Allina Medical Transportation’s Heart Safe Communities program coordinator, Michele Sundberg, to learn more about sudden cardiac arrest in children and how to make their schools ‘heart safe.’ The donation of an AED from the St. Francis Regional Medical Center Auxiliary in May 2002, launched the district’s program, and community support provided funding for the additional 13 AEDs needed to equip all of the schools. District 112, which includes the communities of Chaska, Chanhassen, Victoria and Carver is among the first school districts in Minnesota to install AEDs in all of their schools.

Anoka County Heart Safe Communities Initiative
Steve Sirr is alive today because when his heart suddenly stopped beating a police officer responded to his call for help. Luckily for Sirr, a physician who lives in Rogers, the Wright County Sheriff’s squad was equipped with an automated external defibrillator, or AED. This life-saving device gave emergency medical personnel the time they needed to rush Sirr to Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids where he had valve replacement surgery. 

To help more people like Sirr, Mercy & Unity Hospitals launched Mercy & Unity Hospitals’ Heart Safe Communities program, to put AEDs in communities the hospitals serve. The initiative was funded by one-half the proceeds raised in the Mercy & Unity Golf Classic, a charitable event to raise money for various hospital programs. Additionally, the Mercy & Unity Hospitals Development Committee voted to purchase five units to kick-off the program. To date (7/1/03) the Mercy & Unity Foundation has placed 23 AEDs and pledged over $76,000 in matching grant dollars for first responder agencies wishing to purchase AEDs.

The initial AEDs were donated to fire and police departments, so-called “first responders,” who are often first on the scene administering medical care. The hospitals’ development committee approved AEDs for the following agencies:
· Anoka County Sheriff Department (2 AEDs) 
· Columbia Heights Fire Department
· Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View Fire Department
· Elk River Fire & Ambulance

AED Saves Young Life In Blaine, Minnesota
In March, 2003, 15-year old Kelly Mealman suffered sudden cardiac arrest in her best friends back yard. Pictured here with Dr. Charles Lick, medical director of Allina Medical Transportation and the driver behind Allina's Heart Safe Communities program, Kelly survived, thanks to quick thinking best friends, Lacie Schulte and Elizabeth Bader and an AED in the squad car of a Sgt. Stephen Johnson. Just minutes away from the scene when the call of a 15-year old girl down came in, Johnson arrived to find Schulte performing CPR. Johnson used an AED and shocked her heart once. Kelly received an implanted defibrillator or ICD and, aside from foregoing athletics, has recovered fully.

New Brighton Heart Safe Communities Program
In September of 2001, Allina Medical Transportations' Heart Safe Communities partnered with New Brighton's Public Safety Commission to form the New Brighton Heart Safe Communities AED Program. This program has successfully solicited more than $20,000 in donations to purchase nine AEDs. Placed in New Brighton Police squads, the Family Service Center, Brightwood Golf Course and the Public Safety Center, AEDs have already saved the lives of three Sudden Cardiac Arrest patients.

New Brighton resident Gene Johnson, pictured here with Allina paramedic Madison Overmoen and EMT Tiffany Krob, is alive today thanks to an AED. Johnson, who suffered sudden cardiac arrest in his front yard on Sept. 11, 2001, is living proof of the importance of a public access AED program. Johnson's neighbors kicked off New Brighton's AED fundraising campaign by organizing a 'heart walk' which raised $6,000.


Columbia Heights School District 13 Is Heart Safe
School District 13 purchased five AEDs for placement in each of their elementary, middle and senior high schools. They are currently working with the Columbia Heights Fire Department to raise funds to purchase AEDs for all community fire trucks and remaining school buildings in the community. Their program has been successful in raising money for five AEDs for the fire department and three additional AEDs for 3 additional AEDs for the schools.
 

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