SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., – “We are so grateful to Regional West Foundation for this generous gift; we just hope we don’t ever have to use it.”

With those words and tears in her eyes, Leslie Black, LPN, displayed the brand new heart defibrillator purchased by The Village at Regional West with funds donated by Regional West Foundation.

Nearly a year ago, Black administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation to a coworker who collapsed while working at The Village. That day, The Village lost housekeeper Carol Schaneman to an apparent heart attack, and it changed the lives of Black, her fellow employees, and Village residents forever.

The tragic event inspired Schaneman’s family to donate a fully stocked emergency bag to The Village as a memorial. It also inspired Village Manager Karen Vorse to submit a request to Regional West Foundation for a grant to purchase a heart defibrillator.

“We will never know whether having a defibrillator would have saved Carol’s life. We do know that now we have the opportunity to save a life in the future, thanks to the Foundation’s generous donation,” said Vorse.

Shelley Knutson, Executive Director of Regional West Foundation, said donation of funds to purchase the new defibrillator is a good example of what the Foundation does.

“Our donors say, ‘Take my donation and use it where it is most needed for quality patient care.’ and that is what we do,” she said. “The Foundation receives contributions throughout the year, large and small, and our board makes the decisions on how to distribute the funds for the benefit of our patients, our employees, and our medical center. I can tell you that the decision to fund the purchase of this defibrillator was an easy one.”

All staff at The Village will be trained to use the defibrillator. It is stored, along with the emergency bag, in Black’s office at The Village.

“We want to be sure all of our staff know where the defibrillator is and how to use it, but we hope with all our hearts that we never have a need for it,” said Vorse.

Regional West Health Services is the parent company for Regional West Medical Center and Regional West Physicians Clinic. These organizations, with over 1,800 employees, provide comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people and communities of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota and Wyoming. With over 110 active physicians, 95 percent of whom are board certified or board eligible, plus an additional 25 consulting specialists, the Regional West family of health care organizations offers care that spans more than 30 medical specialties.