Louis Saco, MD, CEO/Chairman of the Foundation;John Burton, Achievement Academy Executive Director
Polk County, FL (August 25, 2017) – Louis Saco, MD, Chairman of the Watson Clinic Foundation, recently presented the Achievement Academy with an automated external defibrillator (AED). An AED is a portable device that checks the heart rhythm and can send an electric shock to the heart to try to restore a normal rhythm. AEDs are used to treat sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), a condition in which the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating.
“We are sincerely grateful for the critically important AED unit that the Watson Clinic Foundation has so generously donated to our Lakeland campus. The unit will not only provide a potentially life-saving piece of equipment for our students and staff, but it will also provide an even higher level of comfort to our parents and families as they know we have the appropriate personnel, equipment and training to deal with virtually any situation” said John Burton, Achievement Academy’s Executive Director.
Since 1960, the Watson Clinic Foundation has worked to improve health awareness and the quality of medical care throughout our community. The Foundation’s special programs and outreach efforts have impacted countless lives across the state of Florida and beyond.
“All of us at the Watson Clinic Foundation are honored to donate this lifesaving AED to the wonderful team at Achievement Academy,” says Watson Clinic CEO and Watson Clinic Foundation Chairman Dr. Louis Saco. “By providing a crucial tool to assist others during episodes of cardiac crisis, we believe these AED donations empower a stronger, healthier community.”
Since 2015, the Foundation has donated multiple AEDs to a variety of local organizations, including Bok Tower, the Polk Theatre, Circle Bar B Reserve, the Detroit Tigers Foundation, the PACE Center for Girls, and Volunteers in Service to the Elderly.
ABOUT THE WATSON CLINIC FOUNDATION, INC: Founded in 1960, the mission of the Watson Clinic Foundation is to promote community wellness through education, research, and service. The Foundation works tirelessly to help various organizations deliver healthcare to the community and nurture the latest and most exciting developments in research, and they’ve long conducted education outreach efforts, such as annual health summits, various lecture events and their acclaimed Speaker’s Bureau series. For more information on the Foundation, visit www.WatsonClinic.com/wcf.
ABOUT THE ACHIEVEMENT ACADEMY: The Achievement Academy serves children from birth through age five with various developmental delays and disabilities. The Achievement Academy offers two programs, each provided at no cost to the child or family. The first program is a Charter School that offers specialized instruction by certified teachers; small class sizes; individual speech, occupational and physical therapies; and assistive technologies that enable each student to reach his or her full potential at one of the Achievement Academy’s three campus locations (Lakeland, Winter Haven and Bartow). The second is a “Birth to Three Program” that provides early intervention services to infants and toddlers who are “at-risk” for developmental delays and/or have been identified with a specific delay. Professional Early Interventionists serve these children and their families. More than half of the Birth to Three Program’s budget is funded by a generous allocation from the United Way of Central Florida.