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Credit Union Central Alberta Ltd. CEO Graham Wetter (r) pictured here with paramedic Adam Loria, showcasing a portable ECG machine and digital modem.
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All across Alberta, there are individuals and organizations that are passionate about supporting health care in their community. Organizations that have a long history of giving back are Alberta’s credit unions.
There are currently 43 credit unions with more than 200 branches located throughout Alberta, providing services to over 730,000 Albertans. Located all across the province, credit unions and their employees are the heart of their communities. Therefore, it is quite fitting that Alberta credit unions have contributed to a program that supports the heart health of these very communities.
“We have been participating in the community for years and it is important for us to give back to the areas where our clients and staff live and work,” said Graham Wetter, President and CEO of Credit Union Central Alberta Ltd. “We are proud to take an active role in building strong and vibrant communities.” |
Alberta credit unions made a contribution through the Calgary Health Trust in support of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta’s STEMI (ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction) program. The program has provided both the communication and technology link that allows immediate connection between a patient being treated by EMS staff in the field, the cardiologists and the ER doctors located at hospitals in urban areas they need to communicate with. This immediate access to specialized care can have a huge impact on treating patients in rural areas who are having a heart attack.
“When someone is having a heart attack, time is of the essence,” says Debra Lundberg, Project Manager for Southern Alberta Heart Attack Initiative at the Foothills Medical Centre. “It is essential to diagnose and treat them as quickly as possible to retain as much of the heart muscle as we can. When a person can be treated quickly, further damage to the heart may be minimal.”
“This technology allows an ECG to be transmitted directly from where the patient is experiencing a heart attack to the cardiologist in Calgary, for example,” says Lundberg. “Physicians can access the ECG by way of wireless technology anywhere, anytime and then make an assessment of the situation regardless of where the patient is located.”
This access to care allows communication with all the physicians who need to know the patient situation in order to diagnose the condition, and set the appropriate course of treatment. It supports all groups providing emergency care in rural areas giving patients in these areas a level of expertise and care that otherwise may not be available to them.
“We are bridging the gap between the rural and urban access to care and providing access to highly skilled specialists for people who live in rural areas,” says Lundberg.
Alberta credit unions were compelled to give back to this program that provides such an important service to people who live in rural Alberta. “Giving back to rural areas is very important to Alberta’s credit unions,” reflects Wetter. “Our communities have been a big supporter of us over the years, so we want to support them as well.”
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