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HealthSouth Helps Town Become Heart Safe Thanks in large part to HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts, the town of Ludlow, MA has been designated a HeartSafe Community. Through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the American Heart Association (AHA), the HeartSafe Community Program helps cities and towns improve the chances that anyone suffering a sudden cardiac arrest will survive. To earn the "heartsafe" designation, communities must have a certain number of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) as well as a specified number of residents trained in CPR. In partnership with the local Fire Department and the AHA, HealthSouth helped Ludlow to meet those criteria. "Along with our usual CPR training at HealthSouth, I and two other HealthSouth employees provided CPR courses at various sites throughout the community," explained Monica LeBlanc, Nurse Educator. The presence of two AEDs at HealthSouth also helped the town to qualify, said LeBlanc, who advocated for the donation of two additional AEDs through the American Heart Association. "Money from the AHA's Heart Walk was used to purchase AEDs for the Ludlow Senior Center and the town's Community Center. HealthSouth and the Ludlow Fire Department will provide AED training at those sites," she said. Crediting the local Fire Department for its "instrumental role" in the project, LeBlanc views HealthSouth's involvement in the HeartSafe Program as an indication of a commitment that reaches beyond the walls of the hospital itself. "HealthSouth is not just a business but a huge part of the Ludlow community," she said. "Through our collaboration with other town organizations and our commitment to community education, we are helping to make the Ludlow a healthier, safer place for all residents." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
