Kaiser Permanente and the Hawaii Heart Foundation donated a new Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to Moanalua High School, making the live-saving device available for training and use by students and staff in the event of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) on campus. Pictures provided by Kaiser Permanente Hawaii.
By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– a new Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to Moanalua High School, in recognition of the school’s support of the Hawaii Heart Youth Screening Program. Moanalua High School hosted the first screening event on their campus in November. The live-saving device is now available for training and use by students and staff and will improve emergency response in the event of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
Pamela Foster, executive director of Hawaii Heart Foundation, discusses the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in the event of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Pictures provided by Kaiser Permanente Hawaii.
“Life threatening arrhythmias occur unexpectedly and when they do, every second counts,” said Chris Stefanelli, MD, Kaiser Permanente Pediatric Cardiologist and Medical Director of the Hawaii Heart Youth Screening Program. “Defibrillation with an AED is the most important determinant of survival when cardiac arrest occurs.”
The donation by Kaiser Permanente and the Hawaii Heart Foundation of a new Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to Moanalua High School increases the chances of survival in the event of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Pictures provided by Kaiser Permanente Hawaii.
SCA is the leading cause of death in young athletes. On average, one high school-aged athlete in the United States suffers sudden cardiac arrest every three days. An on-site AED is critical to improving the response time to SCA, as the chances of survival increase when defibrillation is started as quickly as possible.
“We are grateful to Kaiser Permanente and the Hawaii Heart Foundation for this generous donation that can help save lives,” said Joel Kawachi, Moanalua High School Athletic Director. “While we hope the AED is never used, it gives us peace of mind that we will be ready to help when someone needs it.”
Last month, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii and the Hawaii Heart Foundation partnered to provide free cardiac screening to 134 youths during the Hawaii Heart Youth Screening Program at Moanalua High School. The cardiac screening helped pinpoint 12 youths who required further follow up and identified potentially life-threatening heart conditions for two young adults. As part of the event, students, parents, and staff were trained on the proper use of AEDs, as well as the latest hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques.
“Each additional AED brings us one step closer to our goal of making Hawaii a heart-safe community,” noted Pamela Foster, executive director of Hawaii Heart Foundation. “Being ready to respond quickly is important as many of those affected by SCA are healthy individuals with no visible symptoms of heart disease.”
Kaiser Permanente and the Hawaii Heart Foundation plan to provide additional cardiac screening programs to Oahu and Neighbor Island locations in 2014.
About Kaiser Permanente Hawaii
Kaiser Permanente Hawaii has provided total health to the people of Hawaii for more than 50 years, with physicians who are members of the Hawaii Permanente Medical Group, the largest multi-specialty physician group practice in the state of Hawaii. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. Visit kp.org for additional information. Become a fan of good health with Kaiser Permanente Hawaii: Like our page at Facebook.com/KPHawaii and follow @KPHawaii on Twitter.
About the Hawaii Heart Foundation
Hawaii Heart Foundation (HHF) is a Hawaii non-profit organization established in 2010 with the mission to improve the cardiac arrest survival rates in Hawaii. HHF’s main focus is early installation of CPR skills and understanding in our keiki. From an early age, children will learn critical skills relating to the chain of survival and to help save a life, which will be reinforced as they progress through school. By the time they graduate, we hope to have created a generation of CPR/AED-savvy students who have the confidence and willingness to save a life. For more information, visit hawaiiheart.org.