Holmes County’s New Lifesaver Kit: A Simple Donation to Expand CPR Training in Rural Ohio

In the quiet crossroads of Millersburg, Ohio, a sturdy new box of emergency training gear arrived recently, announced October 3, aiming to broaden CPR access across Holmes County. Pomerene Hospital accepted a CPR Anywhere training kit from the American Heart Association (AHA). The kit includes 10 mannequins, 10 kneeling pads, 10 AED training simulators, and educational materials on flash drive and DVD. Pomerene plans to use the kit in community settings such as health fairs, mobile outreach, and local events. “Having this kit allows us to bring practical, hands-on CPR training directly into the community,” said Anne Gunther, CEO of Pomerene Hospital. One key statistic drives support: performing CPR immediately, before emergency services arrive, can dramatically improve survival odds for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, some studies show it can even double survival chances under the right conditions.

This kit gives local trainers a tool to deliver that instruction more broadly across rural areas. Holmes County, home to one of the nation’s largest Amish populations and roughly 44,000 residents, faces longer EMS response times in remote zones and fewer routine first-aid trainings in everyday settings. The donation came through Gabbi Roszman, the AHA’s Community Impact Director for Northeast Ohio, who allocated regional funding to support local outreach partnerships. The hospital has recently been recognized by the AHA for excellence in rural cardiovascular care, earning both the Rural Coronary Artery Disease Gold Award and the Rural Stroke Bronze Award. As the leaves turn in Berlin and Walnut Creek, Pomerene’s outreach team is preparing to deploy this kit in schools, churches, fairs, and remote gatherings.

The schedule is still being finalized, but hospital officials say CPR demonstrations will be tied into upcoming local events.

In a county where neighbor-to-neighbor help remains a way of life, equipping everyday people with lifesaving skills could ripple far beyond a single donation.