FDNY EMS and Office of Medical Affairs Honored by Sudden Cardiac Awareness Association

FDNY Dr. John Freese accepted the Sudden Cardiac Awareness Association 2009 Leadership Award from sudden cardiac arrest survivor and Washington, DC, firefighter Jim Soderberg.

The FDNY’s EMS Command and Office of Medical Affairs were honored by the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA) with the 2009 Leadership Award for the “NYC Project Hypothermia” program. The award was presented on Oct. 10 to FDNY Dr. John Freese at the SCAA Awards Dinner in Chicago.

“NYC Project Hypothermia” is the nation’s largest EMS-led therapeutic hypothermia program to give sudden cardiac arrest patients state-of-the-art pre-hospital and in-hospital care.

As part of the new program, FDNY EMS members begin cooling treatments for such patients in the field, and transport them directly to hospitals utilizing therapeutic hypothermia treatments.

Therapeutic hypothermia medically cools a cardiac arrest patient, allowing for a gradual, managed return of organ functions. It has been shown to greatly improve patient outcomes and minimize neurological damage often associated with the lack of oxygen immediately following a collapse from sudden cardiac arrest.

At least 40 hospitals throughout New York City’s five boroughs are participating in Phase I of the program which began in January. Phase II of the program, in which ambulances are equipped with therapeutic hypothermia devices such as specialized intravenous fluids, will be implemented in 2010.