Earlier this week, HCA Florida Osceola Hospital presented the Osceola Chamber with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), a lifesaving device to assist those experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). SCA is a condition that occurs when the heart suddenly stops functioning, usually caused by disturbances in the electrical system of the heart.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 356,000 SCAs occur outside a hospital in the U.S. each year. HCA Florida Osceola Hospital has partnered with The Osceola Chamber to fulfill a need for lifesaving tools at their location. In addition to AED training, the chamber staff will be trained in Hands-Only CPR, as well as Stop The Bleed® (STB) to learn how to stop life-threatening bleeding in a severely injured person. 

Dr. Jonathan Ortiz, Associate Medical Director at Freestanding Emergency Departments of HCA Florida Osceola Hospital trains The Osceola Chamber and event attendees on the Automated External Defibrillator and Hands-only CPR.

“We are proud to partner with the Osceola Chamber and provide them with the tools and training needed to help save someone who is experiencing a cardiac event. As our mission states, above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life,” said David Shimp, HCA Florida Osceola Hospital CEO.  

HCA Florida Osceola Hospital is a Joint Commission-accredited 404-bed tertiary hospital and a designated Level II Trauma Center. The hospital is a teaching hospital in collaboration with UCF College of Medicine and offers the highest level of heart and stroke care in Osceola County at the Heart and Vascular Institute and the Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center, respectively.

Other only-in-the-county services include: the highest level of Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU Level III) in affiliation with Nemours Children’s Health, Acute Inpatient Physical Rehabilitation and Inpatient Behavioral Health. HCA Florida Osceola Hospital also provides robotic surgery in General Surgery, Spine, Orthopedic, Gynecology, Urology and Oncology. 24/7 emergency services include Accredited Chest Pain Center with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), and two free-standing emergency rooms: Hunter’s Creek Emergency (South Orlando) and Millenia Emergency. In addition to the maternity program at the Baby Suites and nursery with Nemours, the hospital offers outpatient services including the Osceola Imaging and Breast Center, Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Center, Kissimmee Physical Therapy Center, Kissimmee Surgery Center and counseling center. For more information, please visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com.