UnityPoint Health - Cedar Rapids

Nearly 50 area organizations, including schools, churches and nonprofit agencies, were recently selected to receive automated external defibrillators (AEDs) from St. Luke's Health Care Foundation. The announcement took place during a celebration marking the completion of UnityPoint Health – St. Luke's Hospital's $25 million Nassif Heart & Vascular Center expansion.

The event also featured North Liberty resident Don Triggs, who survived cardiac arrest after his wife and daughter performed CPR along Interstate 380, a police officer used an AED to restore his heartbeat, and he received treatment at St. Luke’s.

“I get goosebumps every time I tell my story,” Triggs shared. “Multiple people have told me I should not be here today. In a terrible situation, everything went exactly right.”

St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation’s Heart Saver Grant program began in 2022 as part of the hospital’s Heart and Vascular expansion project, extending the project’s impact beyond the hospital walls by placing life‑saving AEDs into the community even before construction began. Since its launch, the Heart Saver Grant has awarded 100 AEDs to community organizations, including this year’s recipients. The grant was created to improve survival from cardiac arrest, which occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops beating.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), nearly 90 percent of people who experience cardiac arrest outside a hospital die. Immediate CPR and access to an AED can dramatically improve survival rates, making public access to defibrillators critical.

“Today’s celebration honors the generosity that strengthens our Heart & Vascular Center,” said Foundation President Melissa Winter. “For close to 50 years, friends and neighbors have helped St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation advance heart care services. Their support continues to inspire healthier, more hopeful futures – creating positive change that touches lives every day.”

St. Luke’s Heart & Vascular Center expansion concluded in July with the opening of a new hybrid operating room. The project also increased capacity for heart rhythm and vascular procedures, enhanced imaging technology and modernized patient care areas to help improve access to advanced cardiovascular care close to home.

Together, the expansion and the Heart Saver program reflect St. Luke’s continued commitment to strengthening heart care both inside the hospital and throughout the communities it serves.

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PHOTO DESCRIPTIONS:
1) Large group of people with one person holding a large scissors to cut a ribbon held across the front of the group.
2) Representatives from four organizations receiving AEDs stand in front of a room of attendees.
3) A medical professional demonstrates CPR and how to use an AED to two individuals.
4) Don Triggs and four members of his family pose for a photo.

Summer, spring, winter or fall? What season has the most popular birth month of all? https://uph.link/f350bb

What is the Most Popular Birth Month? Cold weather, snow, romantic fires and holiday parties seems to create just the right equation for the beginning of human mating season. Learn which are the most popular birth months in the United States.

Two years ago today, we proudly opened the doors to Iowa’s first and only freestanding trauma-certified emergency room. Since its opening St. Luke’s Marion ER at 3301 Armar Drive has cared for thousands of patients, providing timely, high-quality emergency care and reaffirming the vital need for local access to emergency services in the Marion community.

Thank you to our dedicated teams at the Marion and Cedar Rapids emergency rooms for their compassion, expertise and commitment to providing exceptional emergency care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Image Description:
1. Entrance to the Marion Emergency Room featuring UnityPoint Health - St. Luke's Hospital emergency signage above the main doors.
2. Patient exam room in the Marion Emergency Room with a hospital bed, monitoring equipment and visitor chairs.
3. Siemens Healthineers SOMATOM go.Top computed tomography scanner and patient table in the Marion Emergency Room imaging suite.
4. Central nurse station with glass walls, workstations and medical storage in the Marion Emergency Room.

Time to get prepped for early school wake-up times. Follow these suggested bedtimes to make that first week easier. ⏰

Make sure you sneak in your child's physical before school starts, too. https://uph.link/school-sports-physicals

Image description:
Blue UnityPoint infographic explaining recommended sleep by age, including sleep needed and suggested bedtimes for school-aged children.

We are pleased to welcome our newest providers, Sarah Flockhart, ARNP, and Jamie Mendoza, ARNP, both with UnityPoint Health - St. Luke's Gastroenterology!

Are you 45 or older? Fill out this form to request a screening colonoscopy with St. Luke's Gastroenterology today! >> https://uph.link/Gastroenterology-Screening-Form

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Image description: A blue and white graphic says, "Meet our New Providers!" and features headshots of Sarah Flockhart, ARNP, and Jamie Mendoza, ARNP, and identifies them as nurse practitioners at St. Luke's Gastroenterology. The bottom of the graphic says "Proud to be part of your health care family."

✓ Less wait time. ✓ Greater access to heart and vascular care. Justin McDonald, director of St. Luke's cardiovascular services, joins KCRG-TV9 to explain what the hospital's $25 million Heart & Vascular Center Expansion involved and how it benefits the community.




https://www.kcrg.com/video/2026/08/03/expert-day-shares-heart-health-care-improvements-cedar-rapids/

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VIDEO DESCRIPTION: A 3:28-minute video with Justin McDonald being interviewed on set at KCRG News by reporter Jackie Kennon.

Expert of the day shares heart health care improvements in Cedar Rapids UnityPoint Health - St. Luke's Heart and Vascular Services Director Justin McDonald talks about what the recent cardiovascular department expansion means for patients.

St. Luke’s Hospital has been recognized among the nation’s top hospitals on the 2026 Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility. The hospital ranked number one in Iowa for Value of Care and Avoiding Overuse, while also earning top five statewide rankings for Social Responsibility, Patient Outcomes, and Patient Satisfaction.

The Lown Hospitals Index is the only national ranking that examines how equitably care is delivered, how well hospitals invest in their communities and whether patients receive high-value care that avoids unnecessary procedures, in addition to traditional measures like clinical outcomes and patient safety. More than 50 metrics contribute to a hospital’s overall score.

Image Description:
An aerial view of St. Luke's Hospital

What will and won't help - from a lactation expert. https://uph.link/viy

Ways to Naturally Increase Your Breast Milk Supply Learn everything you need to know about breastmilk supply from a UnityPoint Health lactation consultant. Find out reasons your milk supply could be decreasing and get expert tips on how to naturally increase your breastmilk supply and breastmilk flow.