Sanford gets Helmsley grant to buy mechanical CPR devices
Contact:
Mark Andersen, 402-730-9610
SIOUX FALLS, S.D., April 21, 2020 — The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has announced a multimillion-dollar effort to save the lives of COVID-19 patients and protect the front line health care workers caring for them.
A total of $4,711,481 in funding will be distributed across five Upper Midwest states to pay for 367 LUCAS mechanical CPR devices to be deployed to hospitals caring for patients during the pandemic and beyond.
Sanford Health received $620,895, which will fund the purchase of 51 additional LUCAS devices in its regions: Bemidji, Minnesota, 7; Bismarck, North Dakota, 6; Fargo, North Dakota, 18; Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 20. Before the grant, Sanford had 72 LUCAS units deployed across its footprint.
“These devices are vital because we don’t want front line health care workers to choose between trying to save a patient or risking exposure to themselves and others to the coronavirus,” said Walter Panzirer, a trustee for the Helmsley Charitable Trust. “LUCAS has been a proven, effective tool in saving lives during cardiac arrest, and having more of them available during this pandemic will save even more lives, including those of the doctors, nurses and other health care workers.”
Research has shown cardiac damage in as many as 1 in 5 COVID-19 patients, leading to heart failure and death even among those who show no signs of respiratory distress. Among patients who recover, many could have long-term effects from such heart damage.
“We are so grateful for this partnership with the Helmsley Trust and for this generous gift that will help fill such a critical need,” said Meghan Goldammer, Sanford Health senior vice president of nursing and clinical services. “Knowing we can protect our front line teams as they work so hard to save the lives of these critically ill patients is extremely reassuring.”
Mechanical CPR’s benefits
The rise in cardiac complications caused by COVID-19 exposes both patients and health care workers to greater risk, as hands-on CPR can be needed for extended periods, and personal protective equipment can become less effective in keeping the virus from spreading to medical providers.
Mechanical CPR has been adopted by emergency medical responders and many hospitals around the globe, initially because of its ability to deliver extended CPR in compliance with American Heart Association guidelines. Multiple studies have demonstrated equivalence to high-performance CPR, as well as increased provider safety and higher rates of adequate compressions for patients in transport situations. Recently, the Department of Defense COVID-19 Practice Management Guide identified the LUCAS chest compression system as the best practice for managing patients in cardiac arrest to reduce the risk of exposure to care providers.
The Helmsley Charitable Trust is partnering with medical facilities in South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska to ensure the devices are in place before the peak of COVID-19 hits. The devices will remain in place after the pandemic as part of the hospitals’ cardiac system of care.
“We were able to go from concept to delivery of the devices in two weeks, and that’s been an incredible effort of teamwork with the manufacturer and the hospitals to get them in place ahead of the peak needs,” Panzirer said. “It’s wonderful to see competing entities working together during a national crisis for the good of all.”
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, one of the largest health systems in the United States, is dedicated to the integrated delivery of health care, genomic medicine, senior care and services, global clinics, research and affordable insurance. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization includes 44 hospitals, 1,400 physicians and more than 200 Good Samaritan Society senior care locations in 26 states and nine countries. Nearly $1 billion in gifts from philanthropist Denny Sanford have transformed how Sanford Health improves the human condition.
About the Helmsley Charitable Trust
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the U.S. and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. Since beginning active grantmaking in 2008, Helmsley has committed more than $2.6 billion for a wide range of charitable purposes. Helmsley’s Rural Healthcare Program funds innovative projects that use information technologies to connect rural patients to emergency medical care, bring the latest medical therapies to patients in remote areas, and provide state-of-the-art training for rural hospitals and EMS personnel. To date, this program has awarded more than $452 million to organizations and initiatives in the upper Midwest states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Minnesota, Iowa, and Montana. For more information, visit www.helmsleytrust.org.
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, the American Heart Association funds innovative research, advocates for the public’s health and shares lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
