[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 68 (Thursday, May 8, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S5944]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        OREGON HEALTH CARE HERO

 Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to salute Oregonian 
Laure Trickel, a coronary care nurse who is saving the lives of Oregon 
teenagers through her Heart Ready High Schools Program. Because Laure 
saw an impending health threat in Oregon schools, envisioned a solution 
and made every effort to implement her plan, she is an Oregon ``Health 
Care Hero.''
  Over the past few years, Oregonians have seen several cardiac events 
threaten the lives of Oregon teenagers during school-sponsored sporting 
events. Tragically, we have lost more than one treasured teen to an 
unexpected heart attack on the fields and courts of our schools.
  Two cardiac events occurred at Ashland High School in Laure Trickel's 
southern Oregon hometown. As a coronary care nurse, Laure quickly saw 
that high schools were simply not prepared to deal with these events, 
where time is of the essence and technology is critical to saving 
lives. In Laure's own words, ``Although a high school could be as 
prepared as possible for a person with a weapon of violence, it was not 
at all prepared for the number one killer of Americans: heart disease 
and sudden cardiac arrest.''
  In response, Laure created the Heart Ready High Schools Program, 
asking local hospitals to donate automated external defibrillators, 
AED, to local high schools. She also asked the hospitals to provide 
training for staff and students, to ensure that the school would be 
ready to effectively respond in an emergency should another tragedy 
occur.
  After the first donation by Ashland Community Hospital, several other 
Oregon hospitals caught Laure's vision and decided to help. I join the 
parents of students at Ashland, Crater, Eagle Point, Butte Falls, and 
Prospect high schools in thanking Ashland Community Hospital, Rogue 
Valley Medical Center, the Children's Miracle Network, Providence, and 
Medford Medical Center for making these lifesaving devices and training 
available. Since that time, Merle West Medical Center and the KMSB 
Foundation have provided similar equipment and skill training to three 
Klamath Falls high schools, spreading this critical program further 
across our State.
  These are difficult financial times for both schools and hospitals, 
and I applaud these community hospitals for responding to this great 
need with their time and limited funds. Many Oregon students will owe 
their lives to the quick emergency treatment they will receive should a 
cardiac event occur.
  Most of all, I am grateful to Laure Trickel for finding a way to 
prevent needless death among Oregon students. Making a difference 
requires vision, great courage, a willingness to ask for help, and 
following through. Laure has done all these things, and we owe her our 
great thanks. She is a true ``Health Care Hero'' for Oregon.

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