JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN’S SERVICE IMPLEMENTS AED PROGRAM WITH HELP FROM THE JEWISH HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION

PITTSBURGH (January 28, 2008) – Jewish Family and Children’s Service (JF&CS) received a grant from the Jewish Healthcare Foundation to purchase an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) for its Squirrel Hill offices.
     An AED is a computerized medical device that can be used to deliver an electrical shock to the heart of a victim of sudden cardiac arrest in order to restore cardiac rhythm. Statistics show that more than 200,000 Americans die of sudden cardiac arrest each year; and that approximately 25% of these deaths could have been prevented if an AED had been available for immediate use at the time of the emergency.
     Several JF&CS staff have been trained, not only in the use of the AED, but also in recognizing the signs of sudden cardiac arrest, when to activate the emergency response system and how to do CPR. CPR and early defibrillation are both critical components in the “cardiac chain of survival.”
     Time is key in instances of sudden cardiac arrest. Different from a heart attack, sudden cardiac arrest makes the heart abruptly stop, causing people to collapse and quickly lose consciousness. The most effective way to revive them is with CPR and AEDs - and the quicker the response, the greater the chance of survival.
     “Thousands of clients come through our Squirrel Hill facility each year,” said JF&CS executive director Aryeh Sherman, “We hope never to have to use the device, but we know that the key to survival in cases of sudden cardiac arrest is quick action on the part of those near the victim, so it is critical that we are prepared.
     “We’re grateful to the Jewish Healthcare Foundation for giving us the means to purchase an AED and inspire us to implement the protocols and response plans necessary to ensure readiness.”
     “We would hate to see someone in one of our communal service agencies die because there wasn’t an AED available,” said Karen Wolk Feinstein, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation. “Ensuring access to AEDs was one of our most important initiatives in the Jewish community last year.”

About JF&CS
Jewish Family & Children's Service, founded in 1937, operates on the principle that strong individuals and families create healthy communities. Our mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals and families through psychological, employment and social services that help individuals and families meet life’s challenges, and empower them to improve their lives.