On Tuesday, November 19, members of The Friends of Reading Hospital and the Reading Hospital HeartSAFE committee will present Heart Hero Awards to individuals who provided emergency, life-saving care to two community members, Fabien Ortelli and Robert Hubert, when they experienced Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). The event will be held at Stokesay Castle, 141 Stokesay Castle Lane, Reading, during the monthly Chief of Police meeting, with the awards being presented by members of the Reading Hospital HeartSAFE committee at 12:30 p.m.. Mr. Ortelli and Mr. Hubert will be in attendance. Media is invited to attend the awards presentation.
HeartSAFE Berks County is an initiative launched by Reading Hospital and The Friends of Reading Hospital to increase an individual's chance of survival from sudden cardiac death. Since HeartSAFE's inception, The Friends of Reading Hospital have placed more than 600 AEDs across Berks County, including with first responders, in schools, and in public places such as FirstEnergy Stadium, Santander Arena, malls, colleges, and at numerous non-profits.
Patti Brown, MD, Paul LaFata, MD, and Theresa Wexler will be recognized at the event for administering CPR to Mr. Ortelli, age 60, when he collapsed at Giant supermarket on December 22, 2018. The trio responded quickly and continued to perform CPR until the paramedics arrived with an AED and he was taken to Reading Hospital.
Also being recognized are West Reading Police Sargent Wayne Holben, West Reading Police Officers Jesse Stock and Edward Delozier, and Reading Police Officer Shawn Heck. In August 2019 Mr. Hubert, age 45, experienced chest pain and became unresponsive en route to Reading Hospital. His daughter pulled over at a local gas station where she and her mother called 9-1-1 and began CPR. The West Reading police officers and off duty Officer Shawn Heck responded using a HeartSAFE AED and administered CPR until paramedics arrived and took Mr. Hubert to Reading Hospital for life-saving care.
Fabian Ortelli and Robert Hubert are willing to share their stories publicly to spread the word about heart disease and the ways that CPR and AEDs help save lives.
Photos from the event will be available upon request.
About Reading Hospital
Reading Hospital is the flagship, Magnet Recognized, acute care hospital of Tower Health. Located in West Reading, Pa., Reading Hospital is a 714-bed hospital that is home to many top-tier specialty care centers, including Reading HealthPlex, McGlinn Cancer Institute, Miller Regional Heart Center, Emergency Department, Level I Trauma Center and Beginnings Maternity Center, which houses the region's only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). With more than 1,000 physicians, specialists, and advanced practice providers across 49 locations, Reading Hospital has been recognized for its quality outcomes and clinical expertise across services lines. It is listed as one of America's 100 Best Hospitals for four consecutive years and received a 5-Star Rating from CMS two years in a row. For more information, visit towerhealth.org.