Establishing an AED program for an enterprise business presents numerous challenges.
- How do you ensure that your program is fully compliant across multiple states with differing laws and regulations?
- How do you ensure that each branch of your organization maintains its defibrillators to ensure device readiness at all times?
- How do you keep track of dozens or even hundreds of expiration dates, inspections, and routine maintenance requirements?
The simple answer is that you need to work with a professional AED program manager. At AED Leader, we’ve created the ultimate AED program management solution for Fortune 500 companies, Fortune 50 companies, and other large enterprises. Our clients include some of the nation’s largest entertainment empires, energy companies, fitness chains, and more, and these industry leaders rely on us because our approach to enterprise AED management is unlike anything else out there.
Our Approach to AED Program Management for Enterprise Businesses
An AED program for a small to mid-sized business is generally pretty simple: An EHS manager or HR director may be tasked with maintaining all AEDs, tracking the pad and battery expirations, and keeping the devices in compliance.
As the business grows, this approach becomes less feasible. Devices get mixed up and gradually fall out of compliance, and ultimately the business is in a worse spot than if it had no AEDs at all. And for large businesses with no AED program, the process of establishing one can seem insurmountable.
There are two potential starting points when it comes to setting up an AED program for an enterprise client.
- Some clients already have a partial AED program in place. Perhaps the organization has grown organically and reached a phase where they’re no longer able to manage the supply and maintenance needs on their own. Our job is to step in and maintain the existing AED program while also expanding it based on the needs of the company.
- Some clients have no AED program in place. They’ve decided that they need to implement such a program, and our job is to help them build it from the ground up.
The biggest challenge is managing an AED program for an organization that operates in multiple states. Every state has different requirements for AEDs. For instance, some states require physician oversight while others don’t. Some states require monthly AED inspections while others are quarterly. New York has some of the most stringent AED requirements in the state while neighboring Connecticut has some of the most lenient. California and Texas also have pretty stringent requirements.
For an interstate organization, we find that the best process is to maintain the AED program according to the requirements of the strictest state. So if you have an office in New York as well as in other less-strict states, we tailor the AED program to be compliant to the New York level. Not only does this simplify the requirements of your program, but it may even provide some liability protection.
For example, let’s say that you have AEDs at your offices in California and Nevada. Your California employees are required to maintain AED and CPR training (according to state law) while your Nevada employees are not subject to training (because the law doesn’t require it). If you face a legal dispute because an untrained Nevada employee used an AED negligently, a prosecuting attorney might point to the fact that your Nevada operations have a lower standard of care than your California operations. By maintaining a unified program that has the same level of care and upholds the same requirements, you ensure that you’re doing your due diligence.
What Our AED Program Management Includes
Our AED program management includes everything you’ll need to remain compliant before, during, and after a cardiac emergency.
- Our physician is authorized to fill AED prescriptions in all 50 states. Most AEDs (with the exception of the Philips HeartStart OnSite) require a prescription, so this is an important first step.
- We establish a certificate of medical oversight for every AED. The physician’s oversight includes the initial prescription for each device and also the ongoing medical oversight. Our physician oversees the planning and implementation of the program, conducts CPR and AED training, and reviews all post-event data when the device is used.
- We handle the registration with your local EMS agency. We have a massive database of EMS registration forms for every county in the nation that requires them. You can view your EMS registrations at any time using our online portal.
- We oversee all required monthly or quarterly inspections, ensuring that all necessary points of contact are aware of any failed, late, or missed inspections.
- We send regular reminders and alerts regarding upcoming inspections, impending expiration dates, manufacturer recalls, and other relevant information.
- We automatically send new pads and batteries as your expiration dates draw near.
- When there is an AED event, we take care of the entire post-event process. We collect and refurbish the device, download the EKG data, gather information about the event, submit any required information to relevant regulatory authorities (this is generally a one-page report that some counties require for statistical purposes), and present you with a detailed report that includes a full synopsis of the event.
We also address AED errors as much as we can. For instance, if a battery drains before its time (triggering an intermittent chirp and red flashing light on the device), we’ll immediately ship the replacement supplies you need.
If a device fails due to an internal circuitry error, we can’t repair the AED itself, but we can connect you with the manufacturer for a warranty claim. Often, the manufacturer will try to troubleshoot the issue with you over the phone before accepting the device for repairs or replacement. We can’t make the phone call for you, but if you request our assistance, we can usually set up a conference call between ourselves, the manufacturer, and you.
How We Keep You Compliant With AED Program Management
As part of the initial setup process, we establish a main point of contact at every facility where AEDs are to be placed, and we develop a general hierarchy of contacts in charge of maintaining the program.
If our main contact at a particular facility misses an inspection or doesn’t respond to a maintenance issue, we contact the next designated team member in the chain of command—continuing all the way up to our main contact at your organization. This process ensures that no AED ever falls through the cracks, even if one of our contacts leaves your organization or becomes otherwise unavailable.
Once the program is established, we ship out every AED to its appropriate facility along with a clearly identified sticker noting where the device is to be placed and who’s in charge of maintaining it.
Every AED is equipped with a unique QR barcode label that works in accordance with our app, allowing for easy inspection and auditing. In addition, every AED we ship is emergency-ready, with all pads and batteries installed and activated. While you install your AEDs in their designated locations, we take the time to build out your online portal on the back end, making it easy for you to complete all monthly or quarterly inspections.
Each contact receives their account and password credentials by email, and we stay in touch with automated email reminders for upcoming inspections, missed inspections, and 30- and 60-day expiration warnings for pads and batteries.
How We Help You Choose an AED for Your Enterprise Business
We tailor the program to the needs of the business, whether you’re just starting out or looking to fix or expand an existing program. We help you to choose the optimal number of AEDs, locations within each facility, and more. We’ll also help you to choose the right AED model, accounting for factors such as:
- Your budget. Each AED can run from $1,200 to over $3,000 depending on the features you require.
- Your ruggedness needs. Will the AEDs be located in office buildings? Cabinets? Trucks? Bouncing around in the back of maintenance vehicles?
- Your maintenance requirements. For example, if you operate a utility company where trucks are located in remote areas for weeks at a time, we might recommend a model with the longest-lasting pads and batteries.
- Your connectivity needs. Most newer models have Wi-Fi connectivity for easy readiness monitoring from your mobile device.
- Your pediatric needs. Some AEDs require special pads for use on children. Other AEDs can automatically switch from adult to pediatric mode at the click of a button. If your organization caters to children, we would recommend one of these streamlined devices for maximum ease of use and a lower cost of ownership.
- Your language requirements. Some AEDs only provide coaching in English. Others can be programmed for two languages. If your organization is bilingual, we would recommend a dual-language defibrillator.
In general, we recommend purchasing the same AED model company-wide for a unified fleet. This allows for consistent training and ensures that your team members are always ready to take action if they transfer from one location to another.
How Our Digital AED Inspections Work
The inspections themselves are simple and straightforward. The easiest method is to use our Apple or Android app in accordance with the QR scanning code found on every device. When the designated liaison scans the AED for their monthly or quarterly inspection, they’ll receive a pop-up notice (e.g. “You’re Inspecting the 4th Floor AED”). The contact then accepts the pop-up and confirms that the device is emergency-ready. For those who prefer, the inspection can also be completed online using our web portal.
The digital inspection can be seen by us and by all subsequent contacts in the program’s chain of command at your organization. We ensure that all inspections are completed on time. When an inspection is missed, we always follow up promptly.
When the inspection is completed, a permanent timestamp is created. It cannot be changed or revised, and it becomes part of the legal record.
How AED Leader Is Different From Other Program Managers
There are a lot of AED program management solutions out there, but AED Leader is unique in a number of ways. We take a white-glove approach, going to great lengths to keep our clients compliant while minimizing disruption to your day-to-day operations. Many of our current enterprise clients are organizations that were unhappy with their previous program manager.
These are just some of the details that set us apart:
- You pay a single dollar amount per AED each year. This amount includes all of your replacement pads and batteries as needed. You end up receiving a slight discount on your replacement parts because you don’t pay the markup.
- Your replacement pads and batteries are automatically shipped when it’s time to replace. No purchase orders are required.
- By establishing a hierarchical chain of contacts and personally addressing missed inspections, we’re able to ensure that every AED remains in compliance regardless of personnel changes or communication difficulties within your organization. We’re able to promptly identify when someone is no longer able to fulfill the role as our point of contact, and we’re quick to replace liaisons when necessary.
- While in-person inspections are not required, they are available at an added cost to clients who prefer them.
- A lot of program managers don’t worry too much about compliance once the account is set up. They rely on their automated email reminders if an inspection is missed. The biggest thing that sets us apart is that we really follow up on those missed checks. We never put our important communications on autopilot. We make it our personal commitment to keep your devices in accordance with your program and the law.
In addition, our post-event process is more comprehensive than that of your average program management facilitator. We don’t just collect the EKG data and create our report. We send you a loaner AED (the exact same model you already have) via overnight shipping along with a postage-paid label so you can send us the used device.
In addition to collecting the event data from your device, we replace the pads and batteries and refurbish the defibrillator so that it works like new again. Then we ship it back to you in exchange for the borrowed device.
What Types of Enterprise Businesses Benefit From AED Program Management?
Every business can benefit from an AED program. Nobody is immune to cardiac arrest, and automated external defibrillators save lives.
With that said, professional program management is especially important for businesses that are too large and geographically diverse to effectively manage their devices in house. The bigger and more complex the organization, the more value you get from a service like ours. These types of programs are commonly utilized by:
- Fortune 500 companies with a multi-state presence
- Utility companies
- Major fitness chains
- Large municipalities or counties
- Large school districts
Is Enterprise AED Program Management Right for You?
If your organization meets any of the following criteria, you may be an excellent candidate for AED program management.
- You require multiple AEDs across multiple facilities.
- Your organization operates in different states with different AED regulations.
- Your existing AED program has become unmanageable.
- You can’t easily answer the question of how to keep every defibrillator in compliance with the law.
If this sounds all too familiar, we invite you to check out AED Leader. Give us a call at 855-888-2771 (Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) or reach out to us at ae*******@ae*******.com to learn more about what we can do for you.
