Doctors joined first responders in learning about the new smart AEDs that are designed to save lives in Forsyth County.
Northside Hospital Forsyth, the city of Cumming, Forsyth County’s government and other entities partnered with Avive Solutions to make Forsyth
a “4 Minute City.” That’s the designation given to communities that have worked with Avive to ensure an AED is never more than four minutes away from someone who goes into sudden cardiac arrest.
In the event someone calls 911 in Forsyth County to report a sudden cardiac arrest, the dispatcher will be able to locate the nearest Avive AED to the emergency. That device will be able to provide immediate assistance and send information on the patient’s condition to Northside Forsyth through Wi-Fi or a cellular signal.
The first 30 devices have arrived in Forsyth County with 270 more due in October.
About 45 people took part in training recently at the county Fire Department headquarters in Cumming.
Jason Grady, the Northside Hospital system manager for emergency cardiac care, said 30 members of the Forsyth County 4 Minute City Cardiac Arrest Rapid Engagement – or CARE – team were trained on the function of the AED. They learned how it connects to the 911 system and were trained on how the device functions on the scene of a cardiac arrest.
Among those from Northside taking part were Grady; Brandon Carey, system coordinator for emergency cardiac care; registered nurse Misty Wise of the catheterization lab; Dr. Christopher Leach, an interventional cardiologist from Northside Hospital Cardiovascular Institute; Dr. Patrick McDougal, an emergency room physician and state Emergency Medical Services medical director; and Lynn Jackson, chief operating officer of Northside Forsyth.
The partnership that led to Forsyth County’s designation as a “4 Minute City” was the focus of a study by a team of students from SkillsUSA at Lanier Technical College.
Ashley Watson, Janet Penaloza and Lillian Phillips won a National Gold Medal for their Career Pathway for Healthcare Science presentation. They focused on the collaboration between Northside Hospital and the Forsyth Healthcare Association.
“The normal mortality rate for a heart attack currently is about 94%. With this initiative, the mortality rate has dropped to 30% within the first year, thus saving more lives,” Annette Baker, director of the Health Information Management Technology program at Lanier Tech, said.
“This lightbulb idea has caught the attention of various health care organizations who have taken an interest in making this a reality not only in Forsyth County, Georgia, but in surrounding counties as well.
“As the winning team says in their presentation, ‘Georgia is a great place to live and a great place for your heart health!’”
Read more about this partnership.
This project is funded by the Northside Hospital Foundation. Learn more.
