Crown Point Community Foundation Makes Life-Saving Donation to Hospital EMS Academy

CP-donation-EMSPat Huber (right), Crown Point Community Foundation president, recently donated $5,000 on its behalf to the Franciscan St. Anthony Health-Crown Point Emergency Medical Services Academy. Funds will be used toward the purchase of a child-size mannequin simulator to train paramedic and emergency medical technician students. The academy trains EMS personnel from 26 area communities and all of those who serve south Lake County departments. Rob Dowling (left), academy director, said the mannequin will make Franciscan St. Anthony Health's program the only one in the area to offer simulated pediatric patient emergency instruction to students and practitioners in clinical and EMS settings.

The use of simulation is advocated by the American Heart Association and the National Registry of Paramedics, he added. Huber said the donation was made to serve a community need and was an extension of the foundation's years-long support of the hospital.

David Ruskowski (second from left), hospital president, said the simulator was much-needed to better prepare students for real-life situations. Tony Englert (second from right), Franciscan Alliance Foundation regional executive director, called the donation an invaluable service to the hospital, its young patients and their families. The donation took place in an academy classroom.