Mercy donates AEDs to area schools, organizations

Program offers life-saving devices to community  

Mercy Medical Center is donating Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to 16 area schools, churches and community organizations in the coming weeks, bringing the number of AEDs the hospital has donated to 51 since the program began in 2014.

AEDs are portable devices that check heart rhythm and treat Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).  When needed, an AED can send an electric shock to the heart to try to restore a normal rhythm. The AEDs will be placed in readily accessible locations at each site, to be used in case of an emergency.

The AED donation program at Mercy is designed to equip local non-profits demonstrating financial need with the life-saving devices.  The non-profits must also exhibit a need for AED coverage for their facility and participate in an application process. 

Presentation of the AEDs will take place at the following times and locations in Cedar Rapids and surrounding communities:

Thursday, Nov. 30:

• 9:30 a.m. - Cleveland Elementary, 2200 First Ave, CR 52405
• 10:30 a.m. - Harvest Christian Day Care, 4070 22^nd Avenue SW, CR 52404
• 1 p.m. - Harrison Elementary, 1310 11th Street NW, CR 52405
• 4 p.m. - St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 915 27^th Street, Marion 52302

Friday, Dec. 1:

• 8:30 a.m. - Springs of Life Foursquare Church, 2300 26^th St. NW, CR 52405
• 9:30 a.m. - Madison Elementary, 1341 Woodside Dr NW, CR 52405
• 10:15 a.m. - Garfield Elementary, 1201 Maplewood Dr. NE, CR 52402

Monday, Dec. 11:

• 9 a.m. -  All Saints Elementary School, 720 28^th Street SE, CR 52403
• 9:45 a.m. - Johnson Elementary, 355 18^th Street SE, CR 52403
• 10:30 a.m. - Hoover Elementary, 4141 Johnson Ave NW, CR 52405
• 11:45 a.m. - Center Point United Methodist Church, 815 Summit St., Center Point 52213
• 1 p.m. - Hope United Church of Christ, 150 9th Avenue, Hiawatha 52233
• 2 p.m. - Horizons, A Family Service Alliance, 819 5th Street SE, CR 52401
• 3:30 p.m. - Gospel Tabernacle Church of Jesus Christ, 2531 42nd Street NE, CR 52402

TBD:

• Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 857 3rd Ave SE, CR 52403
• HACAP, 1550 Hawkeye Dr., Hiawatha 52233

Additionally, Mercy gave Marion Independent School District a matching grant of $2,500 to replace old AEDs.

Mercy is partnering with ThinkSafe, based in Cedar Rapids, to make the AEDs available for donation.

According to the American Heart Association, SCA kills more people every year than strokes, AIDS and breast cancer. A key to fighting SCA is defibrillation (use of an AED) within a very short period of time from the onset of SCA.