SAVANNAH – When it comes to heart emergencies, every second counts.
That’s why University Hospital Samaritan Medical Center and Samaritan Hospital Foundation donated a new LIFEPAK 15 monitor and defibrillator to the Savannah Volunteer Fire Department Thursday.
The approximately $40,000 machine can transmit EKG data wirelessly from the field to the hospital, allowing the emergency department to prepare prior to the patient’s arrival or to give special instructions to the EMS team.
The device can also help medical professionals quickly diagnose conditions Samaritan may not be equipped to handle, allowing emergency responders to transfer a patient directly to another hospital to save critical time.
Savannah Fire Chief Steve Dinsmore said his department is grateful for Samaritan’s ongoing support, which has also included the donation of a chest compression system called Lucas.
“The foundation and UH’s support with both the Lucas device and the LIFEPAK shows their commitment to improving care given in the field, pre-hospital care,” Dinsmore said. “It helps us provide a viable patient to the emergency department with better recovery.”
Dinsmore said the LIFEPAK is an integral tool his department uses on a daily basis in its area,which includes Ashland County’s Clear Creek Township and Richland County’s Butler Township. The new machine will replace an older device that lacked some of the features of the LIFEPAK 15.
UH Samaritan EMS and Community Outreach Manager Steve Carroll said the donation reflects the hospital’s commitment to keeping the local EMS community supplied with the latest and greatest technology to help provide quality care.
In addition to equipment, the hospital also provides area fire departments with drugs, medical supplies and training,Carroll said.
Samaritan Hospital Foundation development director and wellness coordinator Jerry Seiter said the foundation is always looking for ways to support health and wellness in the community.
“The hospital has been great, because Steve (Carroll) will tell us something that might be needed that would help provide better care, and then (Samaritan Hospital Foundation President Richard Beal) is really attuned to taking those recommendations and providing dollars to do it,” Seiter said.
