Atlantic Health System Public Relations Department
Karen Zatorski
Included life-saving CPR & AED training
September 19 2023, Morristown, New Jersey – Atlantic Health System announced that through its Project Heartbeat program, it has donated five automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and provided cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) life-saving skills to community organizations in need. Instructors from Atlantic Mobile Health led the CPR training for members of these groups that included how to use AEDs -- portable devices that deliver an electric shock to get a heart beating normally after a cardiac event.
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, and through Project Heartbeat, more community members will be able to confidently take appropriate action if they witness a cardiac emergency. The five organizations in the Morris County New Jersey region that received the AEDs and training are:
- Warren County Habitat for Humanity, Washington
- Morris County Organization for Hispanic Affairs, Dover
- Interfaith Food Pantry Network, Morris Plains
- The Academy of our Lady of Peace, New Providence
- Temple Beth Tikvah, Wayne
Project Heartbeat was launched in 2017 at Morristown Medical Center, home to the Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute. The ongoing program is made possible through the generosity and partnership of the John T. Babbitt Foundation whose mission is to distribute AEDs to communities, as well as Foundation for Morristown Medical Center donors.
Linda Gillam, MD, MPH, FACC, the Dorothy and Lloyd Huck Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine, Medical Director of the Cardiovascular Service Line for Atlantic Health System, and Professor of Medicine at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University said, “We can all be first responders by learning CPR and understanding how to apply an AED in a cardiac emergency. When a person receives immediate medical treatment during a cardiac event, they are far more likely to have a better outcome. We are thrilled that we can bring CPR and AED training to our community.”
High-profile individuals who have suffered a cardiovascular emergency have brought increased media attention to sudden cardiac arrest and cardiac disease overall. Matthew Martinez, MD Director of Morristown Medical Center’s Sports Cardiology program and the Chanin T. Mast Center for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, continues to play a key role in increasing awareness, educating the public and encouraging CPR training, including Project Heartbeat. Earlier this year, Atlantic Health System also partnered with the NY Jets to offer CPR and AED education sessions to 400 youth football coaches in NJ.
About Heart Care at Atlantic Health System
Morristown Medical Center, the hub of heart care at Atlantic Health System, is one of the top 50 programs in the country for Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery (U.S. News & World Report). Its expert team presents research across the world and is comprised of interventional cardiologists, electrophysiologists, heart failure experts, advanced imagers and cardiac surgeons.
The program also offers specialty care in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, sports cardiology, cardio-oncology, pediatric cardiology, and heart disease in women. The team collaborates with community cardiologists who provide a medical home for patients with heart disease.
Atlantic Health System Heart Care is focused on offering minimally invasive and non-invasive procedures that help patients return to their lives faster. The state’s largest valve replacement/repair program offers valve therapy options for the aortic, mitral, and tricuspid valves, and is helping advance the radial (wrist) approach for coronary procedures with a dedicated lounge for post-procedure recovery.
About Atlantic Health System
Atlantic Health System is at the forefront of medicine, setting standards for quality health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New York metropolitan area. Powered by a workforce of 19,000 team members and 5,440 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health System serves more than half of the state of New Jersey including 12 counties and 6.2 million people. The not-for-profit system offers more than 400 sites of care, including its seven hospitals: Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, Newton Medical Center in Newton, NJ, Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, NJ, Hackettstown Medical Center in Hackettstown, NJ, Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, NJ, Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute in Madison, NJ and through its partnership with CentraState Healthcare System in Freehold, NJ.
The system includes Atlantic Medical Group, part of a physician enterprise that makes up one of the largest multispecialty practices in New Jersey with more than 1,600 physicians and advance practice providers. Joined with Atlantic Accountable Care Organization and Optimus Healthcare Partners they form part of Atlantic Alliance, a Clinically Integrated Network of more than 2,500 health care providers throughout northern and central NJ.
Atlantic Health System provides care for the full continuum of health care needs through 24 urgent care centers, Atlantic Visiting Nurse and Atlantic Anywhere Virtual Visits. Facilitating the connection between these services on both land and air is the transportation fleet of Atlantic Mobile Health.
Atlantic Health System leads the Healthcare Transformation Consortium, a partnership of six regional hospitals and health systems dedicated to improving access and affordability and is a founding member of the PIER Consortium – Partners in Innovation, Education, and Research – a streamlined clinical trial system that will expand access to groundbreaking research across five health systems in the region.
Atlantic Health System has a medical school affiliation with Thomas Jefferson University and is home to the regional campus of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Morristown and Overlook Medical Centers and is the official health care partner of the New York Jets.