Heart doctor campaigns to get defibrillators for all schools

Thousands of kids die each year from sudden cardiac arrest, a doctor warned.
By JEFF ORTEGA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBUS -- Dr. Terry Gordon says he wants to see defibrillators in every school building in the state, a prospect he estimates could cost $7.5 million.
A proposal in the Ohio Legislature would help the Akron-area cardiologist fulfill about one-third of that goal.
A provision in the two-year, $589 million tobacco settlement budget pending before the Ohio House would earmark $2.5 million to help school buildings acquire the machines, which cost between $1,300 and $4,000 apiece.
Dr. Gordon, with The Heart Group of the Akron General Medical Center, said the provision, if it remains in the bill, would save lives.
Statistics
Dr. Gordon said that between 5,000 and 7,000 children in the United States die each year from sudden cardiac arrest -- some because of heart conditions, some because of trauma and sports injuries.
"We would be saving the lives of our most precious resource," Dr. Gordon said.
The provision, which was added to the tobacco budget last week before the House Finance and Appropriations Committee approved the bill, would earmark the money for the machines. The Department of Health, which would administer the purchases, would solicit and select a nonprofit organization through a request for proposals to coordinate the placement of the machines in schools.
First-come, first-served
Public and private schools would be able to apply for the funding on a first-come, first-served basis, Dr. Gordon and state officials said.
State Rep. Jim Hoops, a Napoleon Republican and the House finance committee's vice chairman, said the provision was added because many lawmakers believed it was the right thing to do.
Dr. Gordon said he's unsure how many Ohio school buildings have the machines, but he said it's not many.
The Ohio School Boards Association is "neutral" on the provision but was concerned that the provision was going to become mandatory on schools without revenue to implement it, legislative affairs director Frederick Pausch said. Pausch said the organization is glad the provision is not mandatory.
Dr. Gordon said that if the provision remains intact, he envisions supporters raising more money from private or other sources to ensure that every school building eventually has a defibrillator.
The Ohio House is expected to vote on the tobacco budget this week. It would still have to be considered by the Senate.