In 2005 the Medtronic Foundation supported the Keep the BeatSM Community Champion Award Program as part of Physio-Control's Keep the Beat cause campaign. Community champions were honored for their contributions to saving lives from sudden cardiac arrest, the leading cause of death in the United States. Winners of the Keep the Beat Community Champion Award Program were selected from nomination forms submitted to the Medtronic Foundation. Community Champions were honored at a pre-concert press event where they received a grant of $5,000 at a VIP reception.
Summer 2005
Lynn Talit—Hartford, Conn.
Lynn Talit lost her husband, Ben, to sudden cardiac arrest in April 1995 as the couple traveled in the first class cabin of a flight bound for Los Angeles. In spite of the best efforts of two doctors aboard, with no automated external defibrillator (AED) available, her husband died before the plane could divert and land in Las Vegas. Since that time, Talit has testified before Congress about public access to AEDs. She has also spoken at the annual convention of the American College of Cardiology and Heart Association's Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) Conference in Washington, D.C. Talit has helped implement AED programs in local synagogues and arranged to donate two AEDs to the local community. Her son and daughter are now volunteer firefighters who are also deeply involved in this cause.
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Rachel and Jon Moyer—Holmdel, N.J.
Rachel and John Moyer lost their 15-year-old son Greg to sudden cardiac arrest in December of 2000, when he collapsed during a varsity basketball game at a school in rural Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, the school did not have an automated external defibrillator (AED) and the ambulance did not arrive for 20 minutes, which was too late to save Greg. Rachel and Jon established a foundation in their son's name with the goals of donating AEDs to the region and providing training in their use; educating the public on AEDs; and lobbying state and federal legislators to pass laws on AED use. To date they have donated more than 500 AEDs and trained over two thousand people. The Moyers were instrumental in passing legislation either recommending or mandating expanded public use of AEDs in Pennsylvania, New York, and most recently New Jersey.
Thanks in large part to their influence and support, it is estimated that over 50% of the public schools in New Jersey have AEDs. In the last school year, over 5 lives have been saved in New Jersey schools alone. Rachel Moyer has spent countless hours attending meetings, conferences and seminars with state and federal legislators, school districts, boards of education, school nurses, athletic directors and PTAs to educate people about the importance of early defibrillation—all with the aim of saving more lives from sudden cardiac arrest.
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Christy Stone—Boston, Mass.
Five years ago Christy Stone and her husband Brett, both 28 years old, were on a flight to San Francisco when Brett went into sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). An emergency medical technician (EMT) seated nearby asked for an automated external defibrillator (AED), but there was not one onboard. The plane landed in 22 minutes, but it was too late for Brett—he passed away with his wife Christy by his side. Stone never thought this would happen to someone as young and healthy as her husband, whom she'd known for ten years. Brett was an NCAA record-holding swimmer, exercised every day and had no prior health problems in his family. Since Brett's death, Stone has dedicated her life to increasing awareness of SCA and increasing public access to AEDs. She worked with Lynn Talit to advocate for legislation mandating AEDs on planes, and currently has five bills in the works in the Massachusetts state legislature that would increase access to AEDs and support additional training in their use. She was instrumental in helping to form a New England Public Access to Defibrillation Coalition, and unite its members with communication, updates and information about activities elsewhere in the United States. She is a board member for the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association, working closely with survivors on key programs and issues, including most recently a CPR/AED training program in high schools.
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Karen and John Acompora—New York, N.Y. / Jones Beach, Va.
Karen and John Acompora lost their 14-year-old son Louis on March 25, 2000. While playing Lacrosse for Northport High School on Long Island, even though he wore protective equipment, Louis experienced a condition known as Commotio Cordis, which lead to sudden cardiac arrest. (Commotio Cordis is a syndrome that results from a blunt impact to the chest which leads to cardiac arrest.) The school did not have an AED, and Louis could not be resuscitated when the emergency medical services team arrived.
Since their son's death the Acomporas established the Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation, with the goal of improving sports safety for youth, with a special focus on the placement of AEDs in all schools. More than 7,000 School AED Training Kits have been donated to schools across the country and abroad. They are also working towards the prevention of Commotio Cordis, funding research for improved athletic equipment. The Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation is on a life long mission to prevent further tragedies such as Louis' from happening. In 2002, Governor Pataki passed Louis's Law, named for their son, requiring schools across the state to purchase and maintain defibrillators and to provide trained staff during curricular and extra-curricular activities. As a result of this legislation and the implementation of AED programs in schools, many lives have already been saved.
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Dr. Vince Mosesso—Pittsburgh, Pa.
Dr. Vince Mosesso is an associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; medical director, National Center for Early Defibrillation; and medical director, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Prehospital Care. Dr. Mosesso served as principal investigator for one of the initial trials of police use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in seven suburban communities near Pittsburgh. As chair of the American Heart Association/Allegheny Division Operation Heartbeat program he helped increase local awareness of sudden cardiac arrest and the Chain of Survival. He has helped implement and manage first responder and public access defibrillation programs, and also provided startup assistance and medical direction for a number of local entities, including Duquesne University and University of Pittsburgh police in their efforts to set up AED programs. Dr. Mosesso also provides medical direction and AED program coordination for local businesses in the Pittsburgh area.
Dr. Mosesso was the principal investigator for the Pittsburgh site of the Public Access Defibrillation Trial (1999-2004). Over 60 local facilities implemented AED programs, with the study concluding that AEDs are twice as effective in treating sudden cardiac arrest in the public setting compared to CPR alone. Dr. Mosesso is also medical director and a member of PULSE (Pittsburghers United for LifeSaving Emergencies), which is placing 250 AEDs and training personnel at deployment locations throughout Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. Beyond Dr. Mosesso's local efforts, he is a national speaker on the topics of sudden cardiac arrest and AED programs, was one of the founders of the National Center for Early Defibrillation, and is the medical director for the newly formed Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association.
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Sandy Canfield—Washington, D.C.
Sandy Canfield lost her 15 year-old daughter, Danica, to sudden cardiac arrest on January 14, 2002. Danica, who had a heart condition but didn't know it, went into sudden cardiac arrest during crew practice at Robinson Secondary School. Robinson was the only Fairfax County school that had an automated external defibrillator (AED), but nobody knew the device was in the building. Canfield happened to be at the school that day and rushed to her daughter's side. Two people immediately provided cardiopulmonary resuscitation as they waited for rescuers, but it wasn't enough. Sudden cardiac arrest left the family with a huge void. Since then Canfield has lobbied aggressively for public access defibrillation in schools. As a result of her efforts, Fairfax County and the school system recently announced they will place nearly 800 AEDs in all local schools during the 2005/2006 school year.
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Blake Ress—Indianapolis, Ind.
Blake Ress, commissioner of the Indiana High School Athletic Association, worked closely with Joan SerVaas from the Children's Better Health Institute to educate hundreds of schools across the state about sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and the need for automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Through their efforts, more than 400 schools across the state of Indiana have implemented AED programs. Ress has also worked hard to increase public awareness about early defibrillation and has held numerous press conferences that have been picked up by newspapers and media across the state. He has continually promoted AEDs to Indiana athletic directors and carries a LIFEPAK® CR Plus AED to all state final events. Tragically, Indiana athletics programs have had several high profile deaths due to SCA in recent years. Ress made it a priority to educate his constituents and to recommend that all schools have AEDs. His direct efforts have resulted in hundreds of schools implementing AED programs that may otherwise have waited for a mandate.
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Council Member Patsy Thomas—Columbus, Ohio
In her role as Columbus city council member and community volunteer, Patsy Thomas initiated Project HeartSTART, a collaborative effort to increase survival from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) by increasing the number of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public places, as well as people trained in their use. Over the past two years, Project HeartSTART has gained momentum and support by partnering with the four major hospital systems in Central Ohio, the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, the Columbus Division of Fire and the local fire union.
Funds donated by area hospitals allowed the city to place 19 AEDs in Columbus city buildings. Twenty- five AEDs will soon be placed with additional funds provided by the City of Columbus. Project HeartSTART partnered with the city and the American Heart Association to institute a "train the trainer" program for city employees in the use of AEDs. To date, over 650 city employees have received CPR/AED training. Project HeartSTART is now developing a registry for all AEDs in the city, and aims to integrate the AED data into the 9-1-1 emergency system so the location of every AED is known for quicker access. A Web site and informational brochures have recently been created to reach out to over 2,700 area businesses and religious organizations.
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Darryl Long—Charlotte, N.C.
On February 19, 2005, Darryl Long was 45 years old and in apparently good health as he participated in the Myrtle Beach Marathon. Somewhere around mile six he went into ventricular fibrillation and collapsed. Fortunately, an automated external defibrillator (AED) was at the scene, as were two race participants who were also physicians. Long was defibrillated and transported to Grand Strand Memorial Hospital. Ultimately he was transported to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Long is now a devoted participant in the outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program and hopes someday to return to participation in road races.
As a Keep the Beat community champion Long has requested that the Medtronic Foundation grant be given to the Carolinas HealthCare Foundation, the charitable arm of Carolinas HealthCare System, Carolinas Medical Center (CMC). Among its educational and outreach programs, CMC supports public access defibrillation. CMC will use the donated funds from the Keep the Beat Champion Program for AED placements and training in selected Charlotte area schools. Due to his own experience and the fact that he has two children, one in junior high and the other in high school, Long is especially committed to this cause.
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Dr. Jon Van Ziles—Cincinnati, Ohio
Dr. Jon Van Ziles has shown leadership and commitment over the years to a cause that is just now getting the public attention it deserves. Dr. Van Ziles's accomplishments in the Cincinnati area are plentiful, and include serving as principal investigator for the Cincinnati site of the Public Access Defibrillation Trial from 1999 to 2004. More than 60 local facilities implemented AED programs, with the study concluding that automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are twice as effective in treating sudden cardiac arrest in the public setting compared to CPR alone. As a continuation of the PAD trial, Dr. Van Ziles initiated the Keep the Beat PAD program of Cincinnati, which will provide AEDs and training in their use to the entire community, including public buildings, office buildings and schools. Looking to the future, he is working on an initiative with Cincinnati schools to educate children in CPR and AED use every year through curriculum based training. Dr. Van Ziles is also the medical director for Hamilton County and all Cincinnati life squads, chairs the Prehospital Care Committee for the Academy of Medicine, and is an associate professor at the University of Ohio in Cincinnati.
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Emily Gillary—Detroit, Mich.
Kimberly Anne Gillary died from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) on April 3, 2000 at the age 15 years. Kimberly suffered SCA while playing in a water polo game for the Troy Athens Team at Birmingham Groves High School and was unable to be revived. Her family believes that if an automated external defibrillator (AED) had been there at the time her chances of survival would have greatly improved. Since then, her family has shown overwhelming determination and commitment in the fight against SCA. Emily Gillary and her parents, Randy and Susan, started The Kimberly Anne Gillary Foundation in Kimberly's honor, with the mission of ensuring that every high school in Michigan has an automated external defibrillator (AED), and that staff members are trained in its use. They also advocate for cardiac screening of all high school athletes in the effort to prevent SCA in students who suffer from undetected heart conditions.
The Gillarys' dedication has resulted in the placement of more than 300 AEDs in Michigan high schools. All donations to the foundation go directly to provide AEDs, wall cabinets and funding needed for CPR/AED certification of school staff members. Funds have been raised through golf outings, concerts, luncheons and personal donations. The family's efforts in starting AED programs and educating people about the importance of AEDs in schools have been featured extensively on TV and in print since 2000. The Gillarys' impact on the state of Michigan has been described as nothing less than tremendous.
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Dr. Robert Campbell—Atlanta, Ga.
Dr. Robert Campbell is chief medical officer of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. He has been instrumental in implementing and providing medical direction for Project S.A.V.E., a program designed for Georgia schools since the fall of 2004 and funded by a generous donation from the Children's Miracle network. In metro Atlanta and throughout Georgia there has been a lack of programs in place to help schools prevent Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) until now. The mission of Project S.A.V.E. is to prevent SCD in school-age children and adolescents in Georgia. The program will:
- Provide schools with information and individual consultation on prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the school setting
- Educate parents, school staff, coaches, trainers and other adults who work with active children and adolescents about pediatric SCD, warning signs and appropriate emergency response
- Collect data from school emergency responses for research on the incidence and prevention of SCD in children and adolescents
During its first year, Project S.A.V.E. recognized 135 schools as Project S.A.V.E. Heart Safe Schools, more than five times the number of schools (25) the program originally set out to recognize in the first year. Project S.A.V.E. has been introduced to schools all over Georgia. During the first project year, the project consulted with nearly 50 schools in 30 different districts, distributed more than 1,000 collateral materials to schools, and is currently producing a video and DVD about SCD awareness to help school nurses provide awareness and prevention education for all school staff. The project is also working to further educate physicians in the state about the incidence, diagnosis and treatment of conditions that can lead to these deaths.
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Paul Brooks – Denver, Colo.
Paul Brooks and his family suffered an enormous loss when 12-year-old David Brooks died of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) while at a summer camp in 1995. To help prevent this tragedy from happening to others and to honor their son's memory, they established the David Brooks Memorial Fund as part of The Denver Foundation, a charitable organization that directly supports local efforts that strengthen the community. According to his peers, Paul Brooks has done more for SCA awareness in Colorado's public schools than all others combined. In early 2004, he set out to donate AEDs to the public schools that David had (and would have) attended. While this sounded simple enough, Paul discovered that the district had liability concerns about liability related to AEDs.
Brooks took the issue to the Colorado State Capital. With the help of Senator Nancy Spence, Bill SB170 was introduced, which encourages Colorado public schools to implement AED programs and further, forces schools to accept AEDs when they are offered as donations. Paul lobbied extensively and garnered a great deal of local press attention around his activities and advocacy efforts. After months of testimony and lobbying, Governor Bill Owens signed into law SB-170, known as "David's Law" in April of 2005. Paul's goal is to place AEDs throughout the Littleton School District through the David Brooks Memorial Fund and then to roll the program out statewide. As Community Champion for Keep the Beat, Paul requested that the Medtronic Foundation grant go to the David Brooks Memorial Fund in his continuing efforts to promote and implement AED programs in schools.
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Dr. Donald Ware—Los Angeles, Calif.
Dr. Donald Ware is a cardiologist as well as CEO and owner of Covenant Medical Center in Los Angeles. A specially trained expert in the area of mass health education programs through the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Ware also specializes in cardiology, nuclear outpatient cardiology and primary care. He works both nationally and in the Los Angeles community to educate people about cardiovascular disease, risk factors, preventive interventions and CPR and AED (automated external defibrillator) training. Dr. Ware is also an attending physician in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at Brotman Medical Center, Tenet Health Systems in Culver City, California.
A leader in the Shriners organization, which includes a worldwide membership of 500,000 people of African descent, Dr. Ware founded a Health and Medical Research Foundation to support health education efforts for the Shriners and African American communities across the United States. The African American community has a 50 percent greater risk of sudden cardiac death than the general population. Dr. Ware's goal is to raise public awareness about this statistic and how we can change it through focused education, training and intervention. Since 1986 Dr. Ware has been instrumental, through a partnership with the Red Cross and the Shriners, to train more than 2,000 members in CPR, including more than 400 members that continue on as instructors in their own communities. In the last three years, AED training was added. Most recently, Dr. Ware led a program at the National Shriners Convention in New Orleans where information about sudden cardiac arrest and AED demonstrations were provided in conjunction with a concert by R & B performer Mel Waiters. Proceeds from the concert tickets will fund AEDs and CPR/AED training in 10 U.S. communities where select members will be trained by the American Red Cross as certified AED/CPR instructors. The goal is to train 200 members as instructors so they can reach out to their local communities to place AEDs and train people in their use.
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Jack Grogan – San Francisco, Calif.
On November 16, 2002, Jack Grogan experienced a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) aboard a United Airlines flight. A fellow passenger performed immediate CPR and a flight attendant used an automated external defibrillator (AED) to save Jack's life. Before Grogan's cardiac event he spent 40 years as an executive with IBM and raising his family of four with his wife, Anita. Since the event, he has worked tirelessly to save more lives from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
Grogan works hard to place AEDs locally and train people in their use, and also does extensive advocacy work at the local, state and federal level to lobby for improved access to AEDs. He is an active board member of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association, and is a CPR/AED instructor and a volunteer for the Santa Clara Fire Department. Grogan's advocacy efforts have included:
- Entering testimony for the Committee in Washington, D.C. that finally made it possible for AEDs to be sold for home use
- Speaking before the League of California Cities on the importance of AEDs, and convincing them to support the Fitness Center Bill that now makes it mandatory for all fitness centers and health clubs in California to have AEDs and personnel trained to use them
- Working on legislation that will extend liability coverage for use of AEDs to schools. The bill was passed by the Senate and signed by the Governor.
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Dr. Charles Lick – Minneapolis / St. Paul, Minn.
Dr. Charles Lick, a seventeen year veteran of emergency medicine, is fueled by a passion to save lives. He has worked tirelessly to make sure that an automated external defibrillator (AED) is nearby when sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) strikes. In 2001 he launched Heart Safe Communities to increase the survival rate from SCA by placing AEDs in places where people live, learn, work and play.
Dr. Lick currently practices emergency medicine at Allina's Buffalo Hospital, is medical director for Allina Medical Transportation and is a member of Allina's executive leadership team. Under his direction, Allina's Heart Safe Community (HSC) team has placed more than 650 AEDs since the inception of the program and is now working across the Allina Hospitals and Clinics system to expand the chain of survival to educate patients on proper preventative care and appropriate follow-up care after experiencing a cardiovascular incident. A few examples of the success that Heart Safe Communities has had since its inception in 2002 include:
- The Wright County Heart Safe Initiative: Placed nearly 70 AEDs in public gathering places in 17 communities in and around Wright County.
- Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport AED Program: Placed 65 AEDs at the MSP Airport, helping organize a coalition of supporters to place AEDs and to train airport employees and the public in their use. Four lives saved since 2003.
- Tackling Sudden Cardiac Arrest: This year-long SCA awareness and school AED campaign driven by a partnership between Allina, the Minnesota Vikings and the Medtronic Foundation featured 2004 NFL Hall of Fame inductee Carl Eller as program spokesperson. The campaign launched with awareness training to 65,000 fans at a pre-season game in August 2004. Seventeen AEDs were donated and more than 2,000 students and staff were trained in CPR and AED use in high schools across Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
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Dr. Vincent Bufalino and Judy Vierke—Chicago, Ill.
Vincent Bufalino, M.D. is president of Midwest Heart Specialists and medical director of Edward Heart Hospital. Judy Vierke, R.N., M.S., C.C.N.S. is the manager of prevention and education for Edward Heart Hospital. They have led a four-year campaign to place automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in the community and local businesses.
Recognizing the tremendous impact of heart disease on community public health, Dr. Bufalino led a city-wide effort to train the public in CPR. The initial goal has long been surpassed. As of December 2004, Edward Heart Hospital had trained more than 34,000 people in CPR. Although they were pleased with this progress and impact, they were not content to stop there. They recognized that early defibrillation was essential in order to have an impact on saving lives.
In 2000 "Operation Jumpstart" was launched by the Edward Cardiovascular Institute and its physician partners from Midwest Heart Specialists. Nearly 200 AEDs were placed in Naperville and thirteen western suburban communities. Dr. Bufalino and Vierke led the public relations and placement effort, working with mayors and key players to help determine the best placement for AEDs and assure training occurred for personnel at each site. The goal was to "jumpstart" efforts within each town with the initial AED donations, encouraging expansion to additional placements and lives saved. In the last year alone, three saves have been reported.
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