Making healthcare and health education accessible to surrounding and underserved local communities is what the Wellness Department at Chester County Hospital (CCH) strives for daily. This group is dedicated to bridging the gap in these communities by collaborating with local businesses and residents to identify where the most significant health needs are located and how they can lessen the burden. One community the CCH Wellness Department supports is Coatesville—and a recent initiative helps further this work.

The CCH Wellness Department recently received a $10,000 grant from the Huston Foundation. With this grant, the team decided to gift seven Coatesville churches with AED (automated external defibrillator) devices and provide training to parish leadership and to their congregations on how to safely use the devices in an emergency.

The Greater Coatesville community has voiced concern over the recent closing of area hospitals and the uncertainty for accessing timely emergency services. With heart disease being the leading cause of death in the Central-West Chester region, including Coatesville, these church leaders want to be prepared to help their community in a time of need.

The seven churches that received the AEDs were selected with the help of Minnie McNeil, a prominent Coatesville community leader from the W.C. Atkinson (WCA) Center, and Abigail McNeil, RN, BSN, president of Minority Nurse Educators of Chester County. To receive an AED, the churches needed to meet certain qualifications that were determined by McNeil and the CCH Wellness team. Some of the qualifications included:

• Being able to identify a location for the AED that is visible and unobstructed
• Identifying a qualified AED coordinator who is CPR-certified
• Have the ability to maintain and operate the AED

Once the churches were identified, CCH coordinated and hosted free Basic Life Support (BLS) and AED training for representatives from each of the churches.

Then CCH’s Director of Wellness, Michele Francis, and Community Health Education Coordinator, Chad Thomas, visited Coatesville City Hall to distribute the AEDs. Attendees came from the seven churches, as well as Minnie McNeil, Abigail McNeil, and Coatesville Assistant City Manager, Roberta Cosentino.

“Our goal was to make sure the churches were comfortable with these devices and that they had enough people that could provide and be trained in basic life support, including the use of an AED,” said Francis.

“We’re so happy to be able to work with Chester County Hospital in supporting the Coatesville Community and the local churches who need these devices,” said (Minnie) McNeil. “The training that they offer is a crucial part in making sure that everyone can readily assist in case of an emergency. An equipped and informed community is a safer community”.

The effort isn’t stopping there. To better support this initiative, the CCH Wellness team is hosting further training to provide hands-on education for additional church members. This training, provided by the staff of the Chester County Public Safety Training Center, Minority Nurse Educators, and CCH, will focus on hands-only CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and AED usage.

“Our partnership with the Minority Educators of Chester County and with the W.C. Atkinson Center is extremely appreciated,” said Thomas. “With their help, we are able to support the Coatesville community in getting easier access to health care education.”

Learn more at Chester County Hospital.