CMH contributes to Polk County Sheriff’s Office AED program

• 22 October 2024

Citizens Memorial Hospital and CMH Foundation donated $5,000 to purchase AEDs for Polk County Sheriff’s Office vehicles. The initiative is a partnership with Polk County Emergency Management and the University of Missouri Department of Emergency Medicine.

Through grants and donations from CMH, other community organizations and interested community members, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office purchased 10 AEDs to place in the department’s vehicles, with plans to purchase a total of 30 AEDs. Polk County is the first county in Missouri to utilize the program and place them in all sheriff’s vehicles.

Christina Bravata, director of grants management, presented the check during an AED training session for Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies and jailers on Thursday, Oct. 10. CMH cardiologist Dr. John Best also donated funds for the project.

According to Polk County 911 Dispatch, there were 40 cardiac calls in Polk County last year and 26 recorded so far in 2024.

Cardiac Care at CMH

The CMH Heart Institute Clinic and CMH Cath Lab are staffed by four board-certified cardiologists: John Best, M.D., Dishang Bhavsar, M.D., Stephen Davis, M.D., and Haris Riaz, M.D.

Cardiovascular services at CMH include an accredited Level II STEMI program with 24/7 cardiology coverage. CMH’s cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation program is nationally recognized and is designed to help heart and lung patients recover quickly from heart-related surgery, a heart attack or a diagnosis of heart or pulmonary disease.

Learn more about cardiovascular services at CMH online or call the CMH Information Center at 417-328-6010.