Scotland Health Recognized for Commitment to Cardiac Arrest Response

(Scotland Health leaders accept the HEARTSafe Workplace recognition)

By: Deon Cranford

LAURINBURG – On Tuesday, April 1, Scotland Health was honored at the Emergency Operations Center in Laurinburg during the annual meeting of the RAndomized Cluster Evaluation of Cardiac ARrest Systems (RACE-CARS). In front of business leaders, church leaders, county officials, and other guests, members of the RACE-CARS Trial acknowledged Scotland Health for being one of the first organizations to adopt the trial and for achieving its goals ahead of many others in the state. 

 

RACE-CARS is a groundbreaking program led by researchers at the Duke Clinical Research Institute. According to the trial’s website, the initiative collaborates with EMS agencies, fire and rescue, law enforcement agencies, hospitals, 911 dispatch, and communities throughout North Carolina to improve outcomes for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) victims. 

 

Dr. Christopher Granger, principal investigator of RACE-CARS and a cardiologist at Duke Health, was present during the presentation and commended Scotland County for its dedication to community health. “Scotland County is amazing,” Dr. Granger praised. “I’m heartened that for a relatively small community, the partnerships and teamwork to take this important opportunity to improve the lives of people in your county is truly wonderful.” 

 

Dr. Granger emphasized the program's goal of increasing the number of individuals certified in bystander CPR and enhancing early defibrillation efforts during cardiac arrest incidents. He highlighted the importance of community training in hands-only CPR, optimizing 911 dispatch performance, and empowering first responders to perform their duties effectively. “We need to be leaders in this effort,” Granger explained. “We think as health care systems, we should be leading the way in making sure that all of our own people are trained in CPR so that when they go home, or when they are in their community, they can provide that important role as well. Scotland Health is doing that; it’s leading the way.” 

 

One of RACE-CARS’ key objectives is to educate non-clinical individuals about cardiac arrest and the critical importance of response times. During a cardiac arrest, immediate treatment is essential, and the trial identifies bystander CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) as vital interventions. 

 

Robert Sampson, public safety director with Scotland County Emergency Services, introduced attendees to a corresponding local initiative. “Emergency services, the hospital, and the county have been working on the Heart Safe Workplace initiative,” Sampson shared. “It is an opportunity for a business or organization to train all non-clinical staff in hands-only CPR. The goal is to have everyone trained so that no matter what happens, if there is a cardiac arrest event within your business, there will be somebody trained to recognize and begin CPR immediately.” He recognized Scotland Health for its efforts to become a Heart Safe Workplace, marking it as the first in the county to receive this recognition. 

 

Bebe Holt, Scotland Health's chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services, acknowledged the contributions of Mike Frease, nurse educator and Latoscha Campbell, director of the emergency center, for their initiatives that helped Scotland Health achieve this goal. “Two hundred and fifty-two community members received hands-only CPR training through Scotland Health,” Holt shared. “In addition, there were 72 non-clinical Scotland Health employees that received that training.” 

 

Holt also noted that AEDs will now be more accessible during cardiac events. “We are very proud that we have AEDs throughout the hospital now,” she said. “I would like to recognize and thank the Scotland Memorial Foundation for supporting that initiative to place those AEDs throughout the facility.” 

 

The RACE-CARS representatives, Sampson, and Holt all emphasized that community preparedness is essential for improving outcomes for individuals experiencing cardiac arrest.