BELMONT — A tragic accident that claimed the life of a community leader has led to Belmont Abbey College receiving a $73,526 grant from the CaroMont Health Foundation to strengthen community cardiac emergency preparedness.
The grant comes in response to a Jan. 7 incident in downtown Belmont, where the absence of nearby Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) contributed to the emergency in which Nancy Litwak, 39, lost her life. Her death highlighted a critical gap in the community’s emergency response resources, inspired changes to the downtown policy, and motivated Belmont Abbey College to pursue this grant to help prevent future tragedies.
In collaboration with the City of Belmont, the grant will fund a public AED initiative. The project will:
> Install nine AEDs: Six in downtown Belmont locations and three on the college campus, ensuring any point in the downtown corridor is within a two-minute walk to an AED, well within the critical four-minute window for defibrillation.
> Train faculty and the community: Four nursing faculty will become certified American Heart Association CPR instructors. Recurring CPR and AED training will be offered to local employees, organizational staff and community members.
> Establish sustainable preparedness: The initiative will create a faculty-led model for ongoing community cardiac emergency preparedness and education.
“The safety and well-being of our community is always a top priority,” said Belmont Mayor Joe Jordan.
“This collaboration with Belmont Abbey College and the support of the CaroMont Health Foundation will ensure that lifesaving resources, like AEDs and CPR training, are accessible to everyone in our town. ”
As Dr. Lee-Ann Kenny, chair and nursing program director at Belmont Abbey College, said, “This grant from the CaroMont Health Foundation equips both our students and our community to respond effectively in life-saving situations.”
— Belmont Abbey College