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AED's saturate communityThe New Ulm Medical Center Foundation’s commitment to placing automatic external defibrillators throughout the community as part of the Heart Safe Communities initiative has helped 25 non-profit organizations acquire the life-saving devices. The Foundation, which began raising money for the campaign in October 2004, has so far collected over $52,157 for the program, said Carisa Buegler, executive director. New Ulm businesses have purchased an additional seven AEDs, bringing the total number placed throughout the city to 32. Funds to purchase the AEDs have been donated by community members, medical center employees and the Physicians Group of New Ulm. Buegler said when people donate money to the Foundation for the Heart Safe Communities campaign, 100 percent of their donations support the New Ulm project. These donations made it possible for the Foundation to provide $1,100, or half the cost of each defibrillator, to help fund the 25 non-profit locations. In a few cases, the Foundation helped raised funds for the entire amount. “Each situation was unique and the Foundation worked with each non-profit organization to evaluate their needs, what they were capable of contributing and, based on that, decided what was best for the community,” Buegler said. Because AEDs have now been successfully placed in all of the high priority locations identified by the Heart Safe Communities initiative, the campaign is looking to expand beyond the borders of New Ulm. “The New Ulm Medical Center believes that we serve beyond the community of New Ulm,” Buegler said. “We have many patients that come from surrounding areas, so it’s important to us to make other communities in our area Heart Safe. We continue to look beyond the walls of the medical center and reach out to the community around us.” If an organization in a neighboring community feels it would benefit by having an AED, the first step is to contact Lori Burkhart, RN, Coordinator of New Ulm Heart Safe Communities at 507-233-1910. “We begin by doing a walk through of the building,” said Burkhart. “A walk through includes determining how many AEDs a building may need, where the AEDs could be placed, which employees will be trained on how to use the AED and then to discuss options of payment. If the building is owned by a nonprofit, there may be an opportunity for the New Ulm Medical Center Foundation to step in to help with fundraising efforts,” Burkhart said. Burkhart added that building a heart-safe community does not stop at placing AEDs in buildings. “Training our community on CPR and on AEDs is essential.” The New Ulm Medical Center Foundation agrees and recently sponsored a free CPR/AED training for New Ulm community members. “We were thrilled that 85 people attended,” Buegler reported. “There is obviously a desire and a need among community members to learn CPR and how to use an AED. Seventy to eighty percent of people that perform CPR will do so on a loved one or friend. It’s empowering to know you could save the life of someone close to you by spending just two hours learning CPR.” Contributors:
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