AED donated to New Dimensions in New Lexington

Special to the Zanesville Times Recorder
·2 min read

NEW LEXINGTON − New Dimensions Tan and Gym in New Lexington is the most recent recipient of an automated external defibrillator (AED) donation from Community Heart Watch. The group is a local committee of health care, school and EMS officials with the mission to improve cardiac arrest survival rates in Fairfield, Hocking and Perry counties.

Marlana Solgot, Evelyn Chappelear and and Des Belcher presents an AED machine to Polly Pletcher, second from right, owner of New Dimensions Tan and Gym in New Lexington.
Marlana Solgot, Evelyn Chappelear and and Des Belcher presents an AED machine to Polly Pletcher, second from right, owner of New Dimensions Tan and Gym in New Lexington.

The AED donation comes one month after Fairfield Medical Center employee Marlana Solgot saved the life of her neighbor, Evelyn Chappelear, when Evelyn experienced a cardiac emergency at her Perry County home.

When Marlana learned the gym where Evelyn frequently works out did not have an AED on site, she reached out to Community Heart Watch for help and Community Heart Watch was able to donate an AED to Polly Pletcher, owner of New Dimensions Tan and Fitness. Through its Community AED program, the organization has placed more than 400 ofthe life-saving devices in community areas or public places.

"Polly gratefully accepted the AED, saying she had several members who have cardiac stents,” said Des Belcher, STEMI coordinator for FMC and a member of Community Heart Watch. “We also learned Polly had performed CPR on someone about two years ago at the establishment.”

The AED is one of many Community Heart Watch has placed throughout Perry County, where EMS response times can be longer due to greater distances of travel and strained EMS resources. While the average survival rate from cardiac arrest is less than 10%, that number can be as high as 80% if bystanders start CPR and use an AED while waiting for EMS to arrive.

In addition to expanding access to AEDs in the community, Community Heart Watch is training the lay public to start chest compressions and use an AED while waiting for EMS to arrive on scene. Community Heart Watch oversees three accreditation programs – Heart Safe School, Heart Safe Business and Heart Safe Parks − to expand AED access and knowledge of CPR.

To learn more about the organization, contact Teri Watson at teri.watson@fmchealth.org or go to fmchealth.org/community-heart-watch.

Information and photo submitted by Fairfield Medical Center.

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: AED donated to New Dimensions in New Lexington