May 24, 2017
West Columbia, S.C.– Cardiac arrest is a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the heart stops beating. From the ambulance to the hospital, every second counts in saving a patient’s life. Lexington County Public Safety and Lexington Medical Center will honor three cardiac arrest survivors with The Phoenix Award at the hospital on Tuesday, May 30. The patients and their families will also meet the care teams who provided treatment for them.
“In order for a patient to survive cardiac arrest in the community, we need a high level of integration and coordination of care. The Phoenix Award allows us to showcase Lexington Medical Center’s valuable partnership with our first responders and Lexington County Public Safety,” said Brent M. Powers, MD, Lexington Medical Center Chief Medical Officer. “It’s also a way to celebrate the stories of our cardiac arrest survivors and introduce them to the people who saved their lives.”
During the event, members of Lexington County Public Safety along with clinicians from Lexington Medical Center’s Emergency department, cardiac catheterization lab and critical care unit will share the stories of each patient and how the teams worked together to restore heartbeats and bring the patients back to life. Patients and their families will also have the opportunity to tour an ambulance and hospital departments to meet clinicians who played important roles in their care and learn about the technology used to treat them.
With family and care team members standing by their side, Lexington County Public Safety and Lexington Medical Center will present each of the three cardiac arrest survivors with The Phoenix Award. The award is named symbolically for The Phoenix, a mythological bird that died and rose renewed from the ashes.
“The life-saving process is a continuous chain of care,” said Lexington County Public Safety Director David Kerr. “Our public safety teams handle each case with the highest quality of service.”
Lexington County Public Safety is the sole provider of 911 services in Lexington County. Covering 750 square miles, Lexington County 911, Fire Service and EMS work seamlessly as a team to provide for the emergency needs of citizens and visitors.
Cardiac arrest care is just one avenue where continuous training and many hours of hard work have created numerous positive outcomes for those in need. In 2016, Lexington County EMS responded to a total of 16 cardiac arrest calls, including the three patients who will receive The Phoenix Award. Each year, more than 400,000 people experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the United States.
According to the American Heart Association, an electrical malfunction in the heart triggers cardiac arrest. With pumping action disrupted, the heart cannot pump blood to the brain, lungs and other organs. Seconds later, a person becomes unresponsive, is not breathing or is gasping. Death can occur within minutes if the patient does not receive treatment. Cardiac arrest can be reversible in some victims if it’s treated within a few minutes. First, call 9-1-1 and start CPR right away. If an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is available, use it as soon as possible.
Members of the news media are invited to attend The Phoenix Award ceremony. It will be on Tuesday, May 30 inside the Lexington Medical Park 1 Auditorium at 2728 Sunset Boulevard in West Columbia on the Lexington Medical Center campus. The schedule is as follows:
1:00 p.m. – Welcome and Opening Remarks
1:30 p.m. – Patient stories
2:00 p.m. – Presentation of Awards and Photos
2:15 p.m. – Patient Tours
3:00 p.m. - Adjourn
News reporters should contact Lexington Medical Center Pubic Relations Manager Jennifer Wilson at (803) 939 – 4512 to R.S.V.P.
Lexington Medical Center is a 607-bed teaching hospital in West Columbia, South Carolina. It anchors a health care network that includes five community medical centers and employs a staff of more than 8,000 health care professionals. The hospital is ranked best hospital in the Columbia Metro and #2 hospital in South Carolina by U.S. News & World Report and was named one of the “Best Places to Work in South Carolina” by SC Biz News, in partnership with the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and Best Companies Group. Lexington Medical Cancer Center is an accredited Cancer Center of Excellence and has a clinical research and education affiliation with MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. The network includes a cardiovascular program recognized by the American College of Cardiology as South Carolina's first HeartCARE Center. The network also has an occupational health center, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas, an Alzheimer's care center and more than 70 physician practices. Lexington Medical Center operates one of the busiest Emergency departments in South Carolina, treating nearly 100,000 patients each year. The hospital delivers more than 4,000 babies each year and performs more than 25,000 surgeries. Its postgraduate medical education programs include family medicine and transitional year residencies.
