(Greenwood, S.C., October 9, 2017) – Schools, churches and community centers are among the groups that have been chosen to receive an automatic external defibrillator (AED) from the Self Regional Healthcare Heart and Vascular Center’s grant program. The program is awarding 10 AEDs, valued at a total of $16,000 or $1,600 each to local organizations in need.

“AEDs are proven life-savers during sudden cardiac emergencies, and we want to make sure organizations in the Lakelands are equipped and trained to respond,” said Kendra Keeney, Director of the Heart and Vascular Center. “The grant program is our effort to try to fill in some of the geographic gaps with these powerful devices.”

Representatives from the 10 chosen organizations will receive training on how to use the device in an emergency and how to maintain the equipment. The training session is scheduled for Saturday, October 21, at Self Regional Healthcare.

The following organizations will receive an AED:

 

  • Ware Shoals High School (Greenwood County)
  • First Baptist Church of Calhoun Falls (Abbeville County)
  • Piedmont Agency on Aging (Saluda)
  • Paul United Methodist Church (Greenwood County)
  • New Hope Missionary Baptist Church (McCormick County)
  • Family YMCA of Greater Laurens (Laurens County)
  • Saluda County Sheriff’s Office (Saluda County)
  • Cornerstone (Greenwood County)
  • Broad Street United Methodist Church (Laurens County)
  • Community Initiatives (Greenwood County)

 

Grant recipients submitted an application outlining their need for the device, including the amount of individuals who visit the facility. A committee consisting of physicians, clinicians and community representatives were responsible for selecting the recipients.

Organizations that were not selected for grants this year were given the opportunity to purchase an AED at a greatly reduced price $1,000 for a unit instead of about $1,600.

 

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About Self Regional Healthcare:

Self Regional Healthcare is a not-for-profit, regional referral hospital that provides care to residents of Greenwood, Abbeville, Laurens, Saluda, McCormick, Edgefield and Newberry counties. Services include prevention and wellness, acute care and tertiary care services including cancer care, neurosurgery, heart and vascular surgery, NICU, orthopedics and genetics. Self Medical Group is its employed physician affiliate network of 22 practices and more than 100 physicians.