MassBay Receives Funding from the Healey-Driscoll Administration to Purchase Automatic External Defibrillators

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Liz Cooper
ecooper@massbay.edu

MassBay Community College Wellesley Hills campus, Wellesley Hills, MA, April 2022 (Photo/ MassBay Community College)

WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass. (March 6, 2024) — The Healey-Driscoll Administration has awarded MassBay Community College $2,453 in grant funding to purchase Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) for emergency response vehicles. MassBay was one of 80 Massachusetts municipalities, public colleges and universities, and nonprofit organizations to receive this funding to help increase access to this lifesaving equipment during medical emergencies when every second matters.

An AED is a medical device used to support people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, which is the abrupt loss of heart function in a person who may or may not have been diagnosed with heart disease. An AED analyzes the patient’s heart rhythm and, if necessary, delivers an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart reestablish an effective rhythm.

“Immediate access to AEDs is vital to someone facing a medical crisis. By expanding availability statewide, we’re equipping first responders with the necessary tools to provide lifesaving emergency care for patients,” said Governor Maura Healey. “This essential equipment will enhance the medical response for cardiac patients across Massachusetts and improve outcomes during an emergency event.”

“Equipping emergency response vehicles with AEDs helps to ensure that these critical devices are quickly accessible for first responders and for those experiencing a medical emergency,” said Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll. “I’m proud that this administration was able to provide AED grants to 80 recipients and increase access to this lifesaving equipment during a cardiac emergency when time is of the essence.”

The funds were awarded through a competitive application process conducted by the Office of Grants and Research (OGR), a state agency that is part of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS). The FY24 AED Grant Program was open to all Massachusetts municipalities — with priority given to those with populations of 20,000 or less — as well as public colleges, universities, and nonprofit organizations with emergency response vehicles.

MassBay Community College is the most affordable higher education option in MetroWest Boston, offering a robust portfolio of courses and more than 70 associate degree and certificate programs with flexible day, evening, and weekend classes in Ashland, Framingham, Wellesley Hills, and online. MassBay students receive an unmatched educational value by earning stackable credits that transfer to bachelor’s degree programs, and workforce-ready skills necessary to advance careers in high-demand fields such as health and life sciences, automotive technology, engineering, business, cybersecurity, and the humanities. MassBay’s Associate Degree in Nursing (RN) and Practical Nursing (LPN) programs were both ranked as the #1 Nursing Program in Massachusetts in 2020, 2021, and 2023 by national nursing advocacy organizations RegisteredNursing.org, and PracticalNursing.org. Since its founding in 1961, MassBay has been accredited by several governing bodies and remains firmly committed to its mission of meeting the needs of the diverse local communities it serves. We value the intrinsic worth of all individuals, collectively in pursuit of inclusiveness and prioritize our work towards achieving equity within our community and beyond.