Show You Care Spotlight: Mercy Medical Center pushes to get AED's in rural communities - KCRG

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - Since 2014, Mercy Medical Center has provided more than 70 life-saving AED's to organizations throughout eastern Iowa.

An AED is presented to St. Isidore Catholic Church in Springville, Iowa, as part of Mercy Medical Center's donation program. (Jay Greene/KCRG)

St. Isidore Catholic Church in Springville is one of Mercy Medical Center's latest AED recipients. Church staff members say its a Christmas gift they hope they never have to use.

The AED can be used to check heart rhythm and treat sudden cardiac arrest. Mercy Medical Center donated it after secretary Cheryl Machovec sent in an application.

"We have had some people go down during Mass. Everybody assumes it's a heart attack, but usually, it's something like a diabetic issue or not being hydrated enough," Machovec said. "It makes us worry that it's going to be a heart attack at some point."

But it's not just for the elderly members of the community.

"We learned that a lot of the people that use this device are in their 40's. So that makes it even more of a need," she said.

AED devices can cost thousands of dollars.

"Our church is very small," Machovec said. "We don't have the resources that larger parishes have in the cities, so this is wonderful for us."

St. Isidore Church isn't the only organization to benefit from Mercy's program. Just two years ago, HACAP's Food Reservoir facility in Hiawatha received an AED.

"We had a staff member that had a heart attack here in our food warehouse which prompted us to look into Mercy's program," said Kim Guardado, a nurse at HACAP's Food Reservoir.

Now, HACAP's staff is ready to respond in an emergency.

"As a community action agency, we want to make sure that we're educated and informed about how to help people when needed," she said.

Scott Ladwig, who works at the YMCA in Cedar Rapids and the Ely Fire Department, says the first 10 minutes of a cardiac arrest is important to saving someone's life.

Without an AED, the chances of survival are slim, especially in rural areas where it can take help longer to arrive.

"With the use of an AED, it allows you about a 60 percent more success rate rather than CPR by itself," he said. "The AED is the critical piece in getting the heart back in rhythm."

He says the device can help first responders think of the next steps to continue life-saving measures.

"Having the proper training and using those tools, you're providing extra hugs for everybody...who doesn't want hugs, right?"

Back at St. Isidore's, Machovec hopes other organizations, big and small, look into Mercy's Program.

"Thank for you for this donation, we are thrilled!" she said.

Mercy partners with ThinkSafe in Cedar Rapids to make the donations possible.

Businesses and organizations that want to apply for an AED can do starting in July 2020.

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Show You Care Spotlight: Mercy Medical Center pushes to get AED's in rural communities - KCRG
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