Posted by SANTA BARBARA -Coronary heart disease was the leading cause of premature and all death in Santa Barbara County in 2007, accounting for 472 of the total 2,787 deaths.
That startling statistic is part of the “Community Health Status Report 2009, which was produced by Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.
(Janet Wolf, Chair SB. Co. Bd. of Supervisors/PHOTO-SB Co.)
The report says anywhere from 75 to 100 individuals in the county will have some sort of cardiac ‘event’ annually.
It’s why Public Health wants a comprehensive cardiac care system, or STEMI.
Officials say the sophisticated system coordinates technology and personnel from paramedics to doctors when minutes make the difference between life and death.
The STEMI program is already in place in Ventura County. San Luis Obispo County’s should launch in the Spring.
County health says there is no need for additional staffing or facilities.
Prior to the board’s approval, chair Janet Wolf shared her heart attack experience.