TidalHealth had the honor of hosting inspirational guest speaker Jamie Ensor at its implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) support group meeting on July 8, 2025. During the meeting, Ensor shared her personal story with group participants and their family members.
At just 34 years old, Ensor experienced a life-altering moment when she collapsed in her home from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in 2019. It was only through the swift actions of her husband and the heroic Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) that her life was saved. Early defibrillation by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) during ambulance transport and upon hospital arrival was critical for her survival. Ensor attributes her survival to TidalHealth Peninsula Regional, where she received exceptional care in both the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and cardiac unit, enabling her journey back to full health.
In 2021, Ensor founded The Beat Goes On, Inc., an organization dedicated to raising awareness and providing education about SCA. Realizing an electrical shock delivered by an automated external defibrillator (AED) helped save her life, she partnered with Defibtech, LLC to create an AED donation program. Their mission is to provide nonprofit organizations and businesses in Maryland communities with access to AEDs to help save lives in the event of a cardiac emergency. In addition, they offer CPR refresher courses to the organizations that receive AED donations, in collaboration with local EMS.
To date, The Beat Goes On, Inc. has donated a total of 34 AEDs to several nonprofits on Maryland's Eastern Shore, including but not limited to, the Lower Shore Family YMCA (Pocomoke City), Coastal Hospice Palliative Care Clinic (Salisbury), Salvation Army (Salisbury), Greater Salisbury Committee, the Perdue-Henson Junior Achievement Center and Beach Bounders Gymnastics. Learn more and discover ways to get involved.
TidalHealth's ICD support group meets on the second Tuesday of each month from 9 to 10 am at the TidalHealth Adult Fitness Building located at 800 S. Salisbury Blvd., Ste. D, Salisbury, MD 21801. This support group is free to the public. If you have questions, please contact Trina Forney at [email protected].
