Broward Health Celebrates Donation from Rick Case Automotive Group President and CEO Rita Case

In Celebration of Women’s Health Month, Broward Health recently recognized Rick Case Automotive Group President and CEO Rita Case for her generous donation to the Broward Health Foundation, which enhanced cardiac care at Broward Health Medical Center.

Broward Health unveiled a plaque at the valet station and the elevator bay in the lobby of Broward Health Medical Center to honor Rita’s generous donations.

During her visit, Rita also donated CPR Anytime Training Kits and visited a female patient in the progressive cardiac unit, presenting her with a CPR kit.

“I want these ladies to take home these kits for their families,” Rita said. “Not only is

heart disease the leading cause of death for women in the U.S., but a study by Duke University School of Medicine showed that women were 14% less likely to receive bystander CPR defibrillation than men. We want to turn bystanders into lifesavers by encouraging people to learn CPR, and by making CPR kits available, we can save lives.”

“Broward Health has been caring for our community for almost 90 years, and cardiac care has always been central to our care offerings,” said Shane Strum, President and CEO of Broward Health. “Thanks to generous donors and benefactors like Rita Case, who has been a pillar in our community for many years, we are able to make investments in cardiac services to ensure our patients have the latest technology and highest quality of care.”

According to the American Heart Association, to save more lives from the 350,000 cardiac arrests that occur outside of the hospital every year, the number of people who respond to cardiac arrest by calling 911 must increase, they must have access to high-quality CPR, and they must get and use an AED as soon as it is available. The importance of CPR kits cannot be overstated, particularly for children and infants. More than 23,000 children experience cardiac arrest outside of the hospital each year with 40% related to sports and nearly 20% are infants. Unfortunately, infant mortality rates in Broward County are on the rise, and the county leads the state with those numbers. Cardiac arrest accounts for 10 to 15% of sudden unexpected infant deaths.