MCLS RECEIVES GRANT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH
The Mississippi County Library System (MCLS) is pleased to announce that it has been selected as a recipient of a $1,000 Blue & You Foundation grant. The Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas is a charitable foundation established and funded by Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield to promote better health in Arkansas. The Foundation grants millions of dollars in annual funding to nonprofit or governmental organizations and programs that positively affect the health of Arkansans. MCLS is honored to be among the organizations chosen for this year’s funding.
The grant funds will help fund the purchase of Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs), Stop the Bleed Kits at all six MCLS branches and subsidize First Aid CPR training of MCLS personnel.
Arkansas Northeastern College (ANC) is generously providing funds for the purchase of an AED and Stop the Bleed kit for the Leachville library, which is housed in the ANC Leachville campus.
Libraries are public spaces. Our communities cover the spread of Mississippi County, from branches that proudly stand on downtown squares to those that serve more rural areas. The MCLS mission states, “We bring people, ideas, collections, services, and technology together to advance a rich quality of life in our communities.” Our shared values emphasize ways in which we work to advance a rich quality of life, including helping to ensure the “physical safety of customers and personnel.” Including AEDs, Stop the Bleed kits, and trained staff in our public spaces will help us live more deeply into our mission.
MCLS has contracted with Arkansas Northeastern College’s The Solutions Group to provide First Aid CPR (AED) and Stop the Bleed training to our regularly scheduled employees.
According to the American Red Cross, “Sudden cardiac arrest is among the leading causes of death in the United States. In fact, more than 350,000 people will suffer a cardiac arrest this year. Currently, the only way to restore a regular heart rhythm during cardiac arrest is to use an AED. Of course, you can – and should – request the assistance of trained medical professionals. However, because the average response time for first responders once 911 is called is 8-12 minutes, and for each minute defibrillation is delayed, the odds of survival are reduced by approximately 10%, having access to an AED and knowing how to use one, is critical.” AED defibrillators administered within the first 3-5 minutes of cardiac arrest can keep the victim alive by maintaining necessary heart rhythm and oxygen flow to the brain until emergency responders arrive.
The number one cause of preventable death after injury is bleeding. With Stop the Bleed kits and training, library staff will gain the ability to recognize life-threatening bleeding and act quickly and effectively to control bleeding and potentially save lives.
Watch for AED and Stop the Bleed kits to appear in our public spaces early this summer. The Mississippi County Library System (MCLS) is working hard to enrich the quality of life in our communities; the safety of our customers and staff is one of our top priorities. We are proud to be able to offer these life-saving measures and are thankful to the Blue and You Foundation and ANC for their support.
If you have any ideas for ways to continue to improve the services we provide to Mississippi County, reach out! As always, feel free to contact me at broberts@mclibrary.net anytime with questions or suggestions.