Generosity Helps Improve Care for Heart Patients at Mercy

Patients at Mercy St. Francis Hospital are now benefitting from five new defibrillators, funded by volunteers and a handful of major donors in the community.

“This generosity helps us raise the bar on the quality of care at Mercy,” said Karen Simpson-Neasby, vice president of Mercy Health Foundation. “And it will certainly have an impact on heart patients for many years to come.”

Of the $98,000 raised to pay for the five Zoll R-Series ALS Defibrillators, $56,000 comes from hardworking volunteers through Mercy St. Francis Auxiliary fundraising efforts. Other donors to the Sr. M. Cornelia Blasko Foundation / Mercy Health Foundation include Casey’s General Store, Landmark Bank, and other anonymous groups and individuals.

The defibrillators are now being used in the hospital’s emergency and operating rooms, as well as cardiopulmonary and medical-surgical units. Through easy-to-use technology, the defibrillators improve recovery for heart attack patients and provide more features to providers to assess patients’ needs.

“We’re proud to be able to contribute to such a worthwhile project,” said Steve Vines, Landmark Bank regional president, last fall. “Much like Landmark Bank, Mercy St. Francis Hospital has been a cornerstone of the Mountain View community for many years, providing quality health care that’s normally not available to a community the size of ours.”

To make a donation to the Mercy Health Foundation for future projects, please call 417-533-6192. Mercy Health Foundation, a non-profit organization, supports projects that provide health care scholarships, advanced technology and capital needs. To learn more, click here.