Coral Lakes honored for
defibrillator program
By Julie Waresh, PalmBeachPost.com
May 18th, 2005
The American Heart Association honored the Coral
Lakes development west of Boynton Beach this month
as Palm Beach County's first Heart Ready community.
The award, created last year, goes to counties, cities
and communities that have well-run programs to save
victims of sudden cardiac arrest through the use of
automated external defibrillators.
Coral Lakes is a 55-and-older community of 1,250
condos, villas and single-family homes on Jog Road
south of Boynton Beach Boulevard.
Resident Marty Rothblum organized the Coral Lakes
defibrillator program in 1998 after a close friend
died of cardiac arrest on the tennis court.
"Fire rescue came in 16 minutes," said
Rothblum, who is chairman of the Coral Lakes defibrillator
group. "That doesn't do it."
Defibrillators are designed to send electric shocks
through the chest wall to the heart and restore normal
rhythm in the critical minutes before medical help
arrives.
While many communities have defibrillators today,
Coral Lakes was a pioneer in the training of regular
folks to use the device.
Coral Lakes, which has trained 200 users, has three
defibrillators: one at the tennis courts, one in the
clubhouse and one that is assigned to residents who
serve on emergency duty in 24-hour shifts.
Since the program started, volunteers have responded
to 28 calls for help. But the defibrillator has never
been used, Rothblum said.
Last month, however, a collapsed tennis player at
Palm Isles west of Boynton Beach was revived when
a resident at that development used a defibrillator.
The American Heart Association estimates that more
than 95 percent of Americans who suffer cardiac arrest
die before reaching the hospital.
In considering an applicant for the Heart Ready award,
the Heart Association examines how defibrillator programs
are administered and maintained.
While Coral Lakes is the first local community to
receive the award, Boynton Beach was the first city
in South Florida to receive the honor late last year.
In addition to the Coral Lakes program, Rothblum
in 2001 founded the Organization of Defibrillator
Communities, which has 45 members throughout the county.
"It's to keep the communities in Palm Beach
County aware of what is going and of changes in the
field," he said.
For information, e-mail Rothblum at ami6370@adelphia.net.
To apply for the Heart Ready award, call the Heart
Association at (561) 615-3888. |
