Salem, OR– The cardiologists at Cascade Cardiology, showed their dedication to serving the Salem community by donating automated external defibrillators (AEDs) the Salem Elks Lodge #336 located on Turner Road.

The Elks placed the AED in their Lodge. Cascade Cardiology provided the donation as part of HeartSafe 180, an outreach program designed to help protect communities from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

“Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S.,” said cardiologist Ashit Patel, MD, FACC, of Cascade Cardiology. “By donating this AED to the Elks Lodge, we can assist in providing a much-needed public health benefit to reduce the impact of SCA in our community. We are sending a clear message to the residents in our region: We care about your heart safety, and investing in our community in a meaningfully way.” 

“We are very grateful for Cascade Cardiology’s donation,” said Al Shannon, a leader at the lodge. “We had two people experience a sudden cardiac arrest at the lodge over the last few months and I consider it imperative that we put this equipment to use. Cascade Cardiology has shown its true commitment to cardiac care by giving us this life-saving AED.”

SCA — the sudden, unexpected loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness — is a leading cause of death in the U.S. It usually results from an abnormal heart rhythm, often as a result of underlying heart conditions, but about two-third of SCA victims do not realize they have these conditions until they enter cardiac arrest, according to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation.

The only definitive treatment for SCA is a defibrillation shock — an electrical pulse sent through the heart to restore a normal rhythm. Defibrillation must be administered within the first few minutes of SCA in order to be effective, as a victim’s chances of survival decrease by 7% to 10% for every minute that passes without treatment.

HeartSafe 180 seeks to increase those chances by working with organizations to expand access to AEDs in communities across the U.S. The program is based on a joint initiative between St. Jude Medical, one of the country’s top medical device companies, and Cardiac Science, a global leader in the development of AEDs.

About Cascade:  Cascade Cardiology is headquartered in Salem, Oregon at the Meridian at 777 Commercial ST SE and has two additional locations to serve patients at Woodburn Health Center at 1475 Mount Hood AV, Woodburn and in Silverton Health at 400 Welch ST, Silverton.   Cascade Cardiology is an independent practice that offers comprehensive, non-invasive and invasive cardiovascular care that includes interventional, peripheral vascular, cardiac rhythm management, advanced heart failure and arrhythmia care. The clinic manages complex cardiac patients including treating advanced heart failure patients as in-patient and/or out-patient.  Cascade Cardiology is accredited in the area of adult Transthoracic by the ICAEL (The Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories).  Accreditation means that Cascade has undergone a thorough review of its operational and technical components by a panel of experts.  The ICAEL grants this widely respected accreditation only to those facilities found to be providing quality patient care in compliance with national standards, a comprehensive application process and review.