Our Mission: Lifeline Montana initiative that was launched a year ago, recently received an additional $400,000 from the MJ Murdock Charitable Trust!
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust gave more than $4.6 million to fund Mission: Lifeline in Montana. Along with this gift came a fundraising challenge of $833,000. This generous grant goes a long way in helping us reach that challenge. In year 1, Mission: Lifeline Montana has given out more than 1 million dollars to hospitals and emergency service providers across the state. Chances are your local ambulance company has received this equipment and is better prepared to handle heart attacks in your area. Millions more in funding will be provided over the next two years, helping Montana to become better equipped to handle cardiac arrest from Ekalaka to Libby!
The money will be used to help purchase 12 lead EKG monitors for ambulances across Montana. A 12-Lead EKG monitor is a piece of equipment that allows paramedics to better asses a patient’s condition when they are called to an emergency. More than 80% of our Emergency Medical Services are volunteer lead, which means that they typically do not have the funding to purchase this life-saving, but costly device. 12 lead EKG equipment allows the EMS responder to detect if the patient is having a heart attack and what type. The machine will then communicate that information to the nearest hospital so that the cardiac team is prepared when the patient arrives. This will save several crucial minutes (sometimes hours) of time. This is vital because for every minute that is wasted, heart muscle is dying.
If you or a loved one is experiencing any symptoms of a stroke or heart attack, do NOT delay- call 911. It is a common mistake to think that driving the ER will save time, but the reality is that calling 911 is the fastest and safest way to ensure that your health is taken care of in an emergency situation.
Be the first to comment