Cardiology (see more articles like this)

That is one of the reasons that Florida Hospital has implemented Project ADAM Florida.  The program not only aims to place automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in local schools but also to provide proper training and guidance for schools on their use and placement. 

Now Project ADAM Florida and Parent Heart Watch are donating an AED to Spring Lake Elementary School in Ocoee, Fla.

“Placing AEDs in schools can potentially save the lives of children by giving them access to defibrillation even before emergency crews are able to arrive,” said Bronwen Ramos, coordinator for Project ADAM Florida. “You do not have to wait for the ambulance to arrive to save a life.”

An AED is a small, portable device that can send an electric shock through the chest wall to the heart and restore a patient’s heart rhythm to normal levels before emergency crews arrive. These devices can potentially save the lives of thousands of students who are struck suddenly with cardiac arrest every year.

“Florida is one of only four states in the country to have a program like Project ADAM, which is trying to improve the safety of our schools and give those schools the tools they need to handle these types of medical emergencies,” said Danielle Johnson, assistance vice president of Cardiology Services at Florida Hospital.

Through Project ADAM Florida, Florida Hospital mails information to schools, assesses the best placement for AEDs in the schools, and provides training for school personnel.

Rachel Moyer, who is affiliated with Parent Heart Watch, lost her son to sudden cardiac arrest.  A high-school athlete, Moyer’s son passed away after emergency crews were unable to resuscitate him.

“Working with Project ADAM Florida increases awareness and allows us to reach a broader section of the public so that schools take on the responsibility of not only educating our children, but also keeping them safe.”