IMSA One of Only Three Illinois High Schools to Purchase AEDS
Media Note: More information about American Red Cross’s life saving work is available at www.redcross.org.
AURORA—The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) is one of only three Illinois high schools to purchase Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and already has trained an initial group of 24 key staff members in its use.
AEDs are small, portable, easy-to-use devices that deliver lifesaving defibrillation to victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The American Red Cross estimates that with proper use of these devices, 100,000 lives could be saved each year and the SCA survival rate could jump from 5 percent to 30 percent with AED technology.
IMSA Wellness Team members John Martin, Nancy Todnem and Barbara Baber all received AED training through the American Red Cross and now are conducting training sessions for other IMSA staff. IMSA Director of Human Resources Dr. Richard Hanke said that the AEDs are an essential part of living in a unique residential community such as IMSA.
"As a public residential educational community, we are responsible for the lives of 650 students 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week and 250 staff members," Hanke said. "In addition, as a public facility, IMSA hosts between 200 and 500 guests every month, therefore, we feel it is our responsibility to ensure that students, staff as well as visitors receive more immediate treatment should they become a victim of cardiac arrest."
IMSA’s initial group of trained AED staff members included security, residential counselors, Wellness and nursing staff and athletic trainers. Hanke expects to have an additional 30 trained staff volunteers before the end of the school year.
Sudden cardiac arrest can strike anybody, anyplace and often without warning. Defibrillation, or restoring the heart’s natural rhythm by applying an electrical shock, is the only definitive treatment for SCA. CPR combined with immediate defibrillation is critical because the chance of survival decreases by approximately 10 percent each minute treatment is delayed. The current SCA survival rate in the United States is only 5 percent, largely because CPR and defibrillators are not generally used in time.
Located in Aurora, Illinois, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) is an internationally-recognized pioneering educational institution created by the State to develop talent and stimulate excellence in teaching and learning in mathematics, science and technology. IMSA's advanced residential college preparatory program enrolls 650 academically talented Illinois students in grades 10-12. More than 14,000 teachers and 20,000 students in Illinois and beyond have benefited from IMSA's professional development and enrichment programs. IMSA serves the people of Illinois through innovative instructional programs, public and private partnerships, policy leadership and action research.