Allina Emergency Department Physician is a ''Community Champion''.

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- "Physician Is Honored For His Commitment To Ensure That An AED Is Nearby When Sudden Cardiac Arrest Strikes."

Charles Lick, MD, an emergency medicine physician and leader at Allina Hospitals & Clinics has received Medtronic's "Community Champion" Award. Dr. Lick, who won the award for his leadership of Allina's Heart Safe Communities program, is the only Minnesotan to win this award. The Keep the Beat Community Champion Award is an award presented by the Medtronic Foundation that is given as part of the Keep the Beat campaign, an educational program designed to raise awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and the benefits of early defibrillation.

"This award is a great honor," said Dr. Lick, "I couldn't have done it alone. To me, everyone who has worked on the Heart Safe Communities program over the years is a community champion, and we certainly couldn't have done it without the strong support from Allina."

Allina's Heart Safe Communities program saves lives by working with local first responders and community leaders to place automated external defibrillators where people live, learn, work and play. The Heart Safe Communities program educates citizens about SCA and improving heart health, provides support for fundraising to install defibrillators in public places, and trains citizens to use defibrillators to save lives.

Dr Lick, a resident of Hopkins, serves on the Allina Leadership Team and is a board-certified emergency medicine physician. He is medical director of Allina Medical Transportation and medical director of the Emergency/Urgent Care department at Allina's Buffalo Hospital in Buffalo, Minn. He also serves as a staff physician in the emergency departments at Buffalo and United hospitals. Dr. Lick received his MD from the University of Minnesota. He has a B.S. from the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Lick is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians, the American Association of Physician Specialists and the National Association of EMS Physicians.

Allina Hospitals & Clinics is the premier local sponsor of Keep the Beat, a national campaign launched by Medtronic to promote heart health by raising awareness of sudden cardiac arrest and providing funds to place automatic external defibrillators in schools. Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States--claiming the lives of more than 1,000 men, women and children every single day.

"Through our Heart Safe Communities program, Allina already made a significant commitment providing AEDs to schools and other public facilities in communities across Minnesota," said David Orbuch, executive vice president, Corporate Responsibility & Community Relations, Allina. "Dr. Lick has been a tireless champion of this cause and this award is a fitting tribute to his dedication."

Keep the Beat is also supported by legendary singer/songwriter James Taylor during his summer tour, which kicked off in June. The Medtronic Foundation is honoring seventeen communities on the tour by recognizing local champions like Dr. Lick with grants of $5,000 to their organizations for early defibrillation training and SCA awareness programs.

Allina Hospitals & Clinics is a not-for-profit system of hospitals, clinics and other health care services, providing care throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Allina owns and operates 11 hospitals, 65 clinics, home care and hospice services, oxygen and equipment, pharmacies, and emergency medical transportation services. Allina Hospitals & Clinics and the latest health information can be found online at www.allina.com.

Medtronic, Inc. (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Minneapolis, is the global leader in medical technology - alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life for millions of people around the world.