Cheneys save hearts in D.C.

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By Stephanie Green

Donations from former Vice President Dick Cheney, no stranger to cardiac complications, and his wife, Lynne V., will help provide automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to organizations in the District.

Their goal is to increase survival rates for people who suffer sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), a leading cause of death in the United States each year. For every minute a person suffering from SCA goes without defibrillation therapy, the survival rate decreases by 7 percent to 10 percent, according to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association.

The ReStart DC program of the Cheney Cardiovascular Institute at George Washington University already has distributed 50 Philips HeartStart AEDs to local groups where large numbers of people gather, such as houses of worship and senior and community centers. Another 150 are expected to be delivered this year.

Mr. and Mrs. Cheney established the Cheney Cardiovascular Institute in 2006 with a $2.7 million donation.

The institute's emergency medicine department contacts an organization once it is enrolled in the ReStart program, delivers the equipment and provides three hours of training in CPR and AED usage.

"Our objective to make sure as many people as possible see the demo, because then they will be confident in using it, even if they haven't had formal training," says Danielle Piacente, a spokeswoman for the program.

"Whether a person experiencing sudden cardiac arrest lives or dies can depend on whether an automated external defibrillator is close by. These devices, now so easy to use, save lives, and the Cheney Cardiovascular Institute wants to see them as widely available as possible," Mrs. Cheney says.

Organizations interested in requesting equipment should visit www.restartdc.org.

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