The Delta County Memorial Hospital Foundation (DCMH Foundation) partners with Alpine Bank, Altrusa International of Delta, Bank of Colorado, Delta County Federal Credit Union, the Delta Rotary Club, the Hospital Volunteers, First Colorado National Bank, and ProSpace Interiors, to donate $9,600 for CPR training manikins with built-in feedback devices for the Technical College of the Rockies, Delta County Memorial Hospital, the North Fork Ambulance, and Delta County Ambulance District.
A new requirement from the American Heart Association (AHA) mandates Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) courses use adult CPR manikins with audio or visual feedback to indicate the rate and depth of compression. According to the AHA, “studies have shown that feedback devices help students achieve mastery of critical CPR skills and shorten the time to demonstrate competency.”
Students, however, extends beyond those attending the Technical College of the Rockies. Once an individual is BLS or ACLS certified, regular refresher courses are needed to remain certified affecting EMT’s and nurses alike. The recertification courses help healthcare professionals stay up-to-date on emerging CPR techniques and keep critical skills sharp.
“When the new requirement was presented to the DCMH Foundation Board of Directors, they knew it would have an impact on all the area health organizations,” commented Kaitlyn Jones, Executive Director of the DCMH Foundation. “It only made sense to work together to guarantee every community in the County was prepared for the change.”
The potential impact spurred the DCMH Foundation Board to begin a campaign that would provide the required CPR training equipment. Through this collaboration of local businesses and nonprofits, 44 CPR training manikins ranging from adult to infant models were provided to the Technical College of the Rockies, Delta County Memorial Hospital, the North Fork Ambulance, and Delta County Ambulance District. With the updated equipment throughout the county healthcare students, care givers, and the community will have access to higher quality CPR training that could save many lives.