$3.2 million goes to cardiac care initiative

HELENA (AP) — A $3.2 million charitable donation announced by Gov. Steve Bullock on Wednesday will go toward helping more people in Montana survive cardiac arrest. 

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services received the $3.2 million gift from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. It will be used to implement an initiative called “Cardiac Ready Communities” over the next three years. 

“This gift really is a game-changer for our state,” Bullock said. “It will benefit countless Montanans, especially those living in the rural part of our state.”

Most of the money will fund the purchase of 222 automatic compression devices that allow people to perform CPR longer and more consistently. The devices will be distributed to every Montana community with organized emergency medical services, Bullock said. One machine costs about $11,000.

Jim DeTienne, an emergency medical services and trauma systems section supervisor for the state health department, described the device as “like another staff person” who can do compressions without getting tired.

He said studies show two people who do CPR with nonstop compressions grow tired in five to 10 minutes, yet it often takes more than 20 minutes to transport a patient to a hospital in rural areas.

“Sudden cardiac death is one of the largest killers of the citizens of Montana,” DeTienne said. “Many of them die before they ever get to the hospital.”

The goal of the program is to improve the ability of communities to respond and increase the survival of those who suffer cardiac arrest.

“This is real stuff. This is not theory. This is stuff that saves patients’ lives,” he said. 

It’s the largest grant ever given for emergency medical services in the state, according to Big Sky Fire Chief Bill Farhat, who said the devices also will be a boon to small rural hospitals where it will also be used.

“I can’t imagine a better way to spend this money, and I can’t wait to see the impact this grant has,” he said.

Money from the grant will also go toward additional CPR training and education for 911 dispatchers and the public, as well as updating the state’s computer system to collect EMS data. 

In March, the trust gave Montana $4.7 million for a three-year project that aims to improve the emergency medical response to acute heart attacks in rural areas of Montana largely by equipping hospitals and emergency responders with mobile equipment and training.

The trust also has given millions in funding for cardiac care projects in South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska.