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Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Ida County Healthcare Coalition Donates AEDs to Sheriff’s Department

The Ida County Healthcare Coalition, consisting of Horn Memorial Hospital, Ida County Public Health, and the Ida County Emergency Manager, presented the AEDs to the Sherriff’s Department last week. 
Present in the photo back row:  Fred Anderson, Kirk Kinnaman, and Ed Sohm  Front Row:  Sheriff Wade Harriman,
Jo Hayes and Chris Nichols

The Ida County Healthcare Coalition recently donated nine automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to the Ida County Sheriff’s Department.  Dr. Curtis Hesse, a physician employed by Horn Memorial Hospital and the Medical Director for the Ida Grove Ambulance, was familiar with a similar program in other counties and recognized that the Sheriff and deputies are often the first responders on the scene where use of an AED can mean the difference between life and death.
Dr. Hesse approached Horn Memorial to ask if funding was available to provide AEDs for the Sheriff’s Department.  The hospital pursued this idea and, through the Ida County Healthcare Coalition, was able to designate money from a State grant for Hospital and Public Health Preparedness to purchase the AEDs.  The grant money made it possible to purchase nine (9) brand new AEDs totaling just under $14,000.   

Chris Nichols, Horn Memorial Hospital CEO, stated, “This donation reflects great coordination and cooperation across the various healthcare entities in our county.  It started with a question by our own Dr. Hesse, and ended with a solution that benefits all parties, mainly the residents of Ida County.  I’m glad that the hospital could play a role to facilitate this positive step in the health of our communities.”

According to the American Heart Association, 23% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests are "shockable" arrhythmias, or those that respond to a shock from an AED, making AEDs in public places highly valuable.  The use of an AED can increase the chance of surviving a sudden cardiac arrest by 70%.   Communities with comprehensive AED programs that include CPR and AED training for rescuers have achieved survival rates of nearly 40% for cardiac arrest victims. 


Sheriff Harriman commented, “These AEDs will allow our deputies, who many times are the first on the scene, to more quickly address the needs of a cardiac patient.  I want to thank the Ida County Healthcare Coalition for applying for the grant that allowed the Sheriff’s Office to receive AEDs to put in all of our patrol vehicles.”