Steve Prysunka and Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department Cpt. Dorianne Sprehe demonstrate how the department's new automatic resuscitation system works for SEARHC regional director Mark Walker (at center). Walker's eponymous foundation provided grant funding for the device, which will help emergency responders provide CPR to patients during transit.
Wrangell's emergency services were the recipients of the first-ever grant from the Walker Foundation, a benevolent fund established after the acquisition of Alaska Island Community Services last year by Southeast Alaska Rural Health Consortium.
Governed by an appointed board, the Foundation supports activities that promote health and the welfare of the Wrangell community.
"It's on a project by project basis. We currently have about $3.75M," explained Mark Walker, formerly CEO for AICS and currently Southern Region Director for SEARHC. The fund's principal will be cultivated through managed investment, with monies added to it on a periodic basis.
"We have an arrangement with SEARHC. They will be making an annual contribution that's dependent on how AICS programs perform," said Walker. "We're going to use that as the basis to generate earnings from that fund," which then goes toward grant awards.
The Walker Foundation board receives applications each year in the fall, making its determination for awards by the new year.
"We're looking for projects that can demonstrate actual results, improving the health outcomes for community members," Walker explained.
The Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department put in the program's first and only application for last year, requesting an automated resuscitation system for its emergency responders.
One area of concern identified by the Wrangell Medical Center chief of staff and emergency medical personnel regards providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation for patients during transport. The department lacks certified paramedics, and an EMT II is limited in the cardiac medications they are able to administer during a cardiac arrest code. Full care is really only available at the hospital, so good, consistent CPR is vital for appropriate care and a positive outcome. Standard practice demands patients receiving CPR be restrained, which can be difficult when on the go or impractical while in confined spaces like the floatplane WVFD has access to.
In light of this, the department requested assistance procuring a ZOLL-brand autopulse resuscitation system. The portable device is strapped to the back of a patient and automates the CPR process, allowing emergency personnel to remain safely buckled in while delivering care on the way to advanced care. It only takes 20 seconds to put on and is battery powered, delivering non-stop compressions over two-minute periods. Straps and an attached stabilizing board allow patients to receive resuscitation while in transit, on a stretcher, or even in a cramped elevator.
Dr. Lynn Prysunka of AICS and WVFD captain Dorianne Sprehe recommended the device as best fitting the department's needs. It retails for just under $5,000, so the grant allowed Wrangell's emergency techs to acquire a useful but pricey piece of equipment. After receiving the award, the department has procured its preferred device, which is already in service.
Walker explained the Foundation does not currently have a deadline for grant applications, but that its board is open to suggestions for further projects. While the organization does not yet have a website available, Walker can be contacted about application requirements and grant parameters by phone at 874-5000.
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