News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2003 |
Contact: HRSA Press Office (301) 443-3376 |
HHS AWARDS $11.6 MILLION IN GRANTS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO POTENTIALLY LIFE-SAVING DEFIBRILLATORS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced $11.6 million in grants to increase access to on-the-spot help for people who suffer heart attacks in rural America
"These grants will help rural communities buy automated external defibrillators, which have the ability to save the lives of people suffering heart attacks," Secretary Thompson said. "By helping communities purchase these devices and train emergency workers to use them, we are helping improve the odds for people who have heart attacks far from a hospital."
The Rural Access to Emergency Devices Grants will go to rural communities in 49 states and the U.S. territory of Guam to purchase FDA-approved automated external defibrillators and train emergency and community personnel in their proper use. Automatic defibrillators are lightweight, portable devices, which provide an electrical shock capable of restoring the normal heart rhythm of cardiac arrest victims, greatly improving chances of survival.
The grant program is administered by HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), through its Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Grant funds go first to state agencies, which are an integral part of community partnerships with emergency medical services, fire and rescue services, health clinics, nursing homes and schools.
"Spreading the benefits of these devices to people wherever they live is an important part of HRSA's commitment to improving the health and well-being of Americans who live in remote rural and frontier areas," says HRSA Administrator Elizabeth M. Duke.
A list of grantees follows:
Rural Access to Emergency Devices Act Grant Program, FY 2003 |
Organization |
City |
State |
Award |
Alabama Department of Public Health |
Montgomery |
Ala. |
$230,684 |
Alaska Dept. of Health and Social Services |
Juneau |
Alaska |
$265,168 |
Arizona Department of Health Services |
Phoenix |
Ariz. |
$209,438 |
Arkansas Department of Health |
Little Rock |
Ark. |
$270,981 |
California Emergency Medical Services Authority |
Sacramento |
Calif. |
$199,296 |
Colorado Rural Health Center |
Denver |
Colo. |
$223,709 |
Connecticut Department of Public Health |
Hartford |
Conn. |
$157,147 |
Delaware Dept. of Emergency Medical Services |
Dover |
Del. |
$177,513 |
Florida Department of Health |
Tallahassee |
Fla. |
$215,021 |
Georgia Department of Human Resources |
Atlanta |
Ga. |
$269,642 |
Guam Department of Public Health |
Agana |
Guam |
$50,000 |
Hawaii Department of Health |
Honolulu |
Hawaii |
$207,010 |
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare |
Boise |
Idaho |
$260,000 |
Illinois Department of Public Health |
Springfield |
Ill. |
$234,952 |
Hoosier Uplands Economic Development Corp. |
Mitchell |
Ind. |
$250,014 |
Iowa Department of Public Health |
Des Moines |
Iowa |
$271,182 |
Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services |
Topeka |
Kan. |
$259,834 |
Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services |
Frankfort |
Ky. |
$313,138 |
Louisiana Dept. of Health and Hospitals, Office of Public Health, Bureau of EMS |
Baton Rouge |
La. |
$241,025 |
Maine Emergency Medical Services |
Augusta |
Maine |
$274,316 |
Massachusetts Dept of Public Health |
Boston |
Mass. |
$166,504 |
Maryland Institute for EMS |
Baltimore |
Md. |
$200,186 |
Michigan Department of Consumer & Industry Services |
Lansing |
Mich. |
$258,652 |
Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board |
Minneapolis |
Minn. |
$250,308 |
Mississippi State Department of Health |
Jackson |
Miss. |
$276,468 |
Missouri Dept. of Health and Senior Services |
Jefferson City |
Mo. |
$245,076 |
Dept. of Public Health and Human Services |
Helena |
Mont. |
$275,341 |
Nebraska State Department of Health |
Lincoln |
Neb. |
$216,330 |
Board of Regents, Univ. of Nevada, Reno |
Reno |
Nev. |
$172,039 |
State of New Hampshire |
Concord |
N.H. |
$218,173 |
American Red Cross of Central New Jersey |
Princeton |
N.J. |
$156,003 |
New Mexico Department of Health |
Santa Fe |
N.M. |
$252,760 |
Health Research, Inc. |
Rensselaer |
N.Y. |
$232,540 |
N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services |
Raleigh |
N.C. |
$276,593 |
University of North Dakota |
Grand Forks |
N.D. |
$231,239 |
Ohio Department of Public Safety |
Columbus |
Ohio |
$240,681 |
Oklahoma State Department of Health |
Oklahoma City |
Okla. |
$242,367 |
Department of Human Resources |
Portland |
Ore. |
$227,260 |
Pennsylvania State Department of Health |
Harrisburg |
Pa. |
$263,903 |
South Carolina Office of Rural Health |
Columbia |
S.C. |
$228,190 |
South Dakota Department of Public Safety |
Pierre |
S.D. |
$213,330 |
Tennessee Department of Health |
Nashville |
Tenn. |
$279,323 |
Texas Office of Rural Community Affairs |
Austin |
Texas |
$244,110 |
Utah Department of Health |
Salt Lake City |
Utah |
$221,701 |
State of Vermont |
Burlington |
Vt. |
$250,000 |
Virginia Department of Health |
Lakeside |
Va. |
$230,583 |
State of Washington |
Olympia |
Wash. |
$222,288 |
W.Va. Dept. of Health & Human Resources |
Charleston |
W.Va. |
$256,241 |
Department of Health and Family Services |
Madison |
Wis. |
$241,006 |
Wyoming Department of Health |
Cheyenne |
Wyo. |
$259,734 |
TOTAL: |
$11,628,999 |
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
Last Revised: September 24, 2003
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