Three ambulance services received a very prestigious award from the American Heart Association at ACMH Hospital yesterday.
It’s not unusual for local ambulances to come to ACMH Hospital. However, yesterday it wasn’t for patient delivery, but rather to recognize their accomplishments in responding to calls for individuals experiencing a heart attack.
To assist in the training and development of emergency medical technicians (EMT), the American Heart Association has developed the “Mission: Lifeline” program. Each year, the American Heart Association (AHA) gives awards to those particular ambulance services that have excelled at developing systems of care and procedures for acute coronary patients.
AHA Representative Alexander Kuhn said only a small number of ambulance services qualify for the award.
“Out of 1200 agencies in the state of Pennsylvania, only 75 of them are getting the awards,” Kuhn said during the ceremony held yesterday in the ACMH Court Yard at the front of the facility. “Paramedics and EMTs see a patient with a heart attack. They do the ECG (electrocardiograph), get them to the hospital, through the emergency department, up to the Cath Lab. To get the artery open within 90 minutes takes a lot of coordination from a lot of folks. Dispatchers, EMS providers, your nurses, your doctors in the emergency room, Cath Lab team - that sometimes have to come in at all hours of the night to get these patients cathed so it takes a lot of commitment and obviously administration’s commitment to make that happen also. And so it just doesn’t happen in a vacuum.”
ACMH CEO John Lewis addresses the crowd at the awards ceremony.
“I thank our EMS folks,” ACMH Hospital CEO John Lewis said. “It absolutely works because of them. The team in the field, the early identification, the early management, and the work with our hospital personnel and our emergency department, is beyond description. I don’t think the community always recognizes the value of early intervention”
Lewis pointed out that it is the EMT crew that recognizes the situation and alerts the hospital personnel.
“They cue us in so that we can very early start to bring the team together in preparation. At the end of the day in cardiac disease, time is heart muscle. Because of our great EMS teams, we’re able to intervene very, very early and prevent cardiac muscle damage.”
Jason Orton, Pre-hospital Care Coordinator at ACMH, said that patients often wait too long to call for help.
“An integrated system of care allows for EMS to activate the appropriate teams here at ACMH to be prepared for the patient’s arrival. EMS truly brings top-notch care to the field, whether that be in the patient’s living room, the wilderness or even a roadway. Unfortunately, too often, patients do not utilize 911 and our EMS partners when they are suffering a STEMI or a major medical emergency. In 2018, only 50% of the patients having STEMIS, arriving at ACMH came via EMS. ACMH Hospital is ready and prepared to receive patient handoffs and continue to deliver the life-saving care of EMS.”
Lewis agreed.
“The earlier we can get our community to recognize - don’t drive yourself , don’t call a neighbor to bring you to the hospital, but make first contact with 9-1-1 and the ambulance service because they begin the process for the early identification and starting our team to bring them together so that we can address it as soon as they hit the door.”
Kuhn congratulated the three recipients of the award, including the Indiana Citizens Ambulance Service, who received the Gold Award; the Freeport Ambulance Service, who received the Bronze Award; and Hose Company #6 Kittanning Emergency Services who received the Silver Award.
“We are really today celebrating lives saved because of the hard work of the citizens of Kittanning, Freeport and Indiana Citizens,” Kuhn said. “This is really making your community healthier and saving lives. And the communities that you serve should be very proud of you and you should be telling your story about the great work that you do and the system of care that is in place. Those folks that aren’t calling 9-1-1 are missing out on a great opportunity and a better outcome versus driving themselves or not driving at all.”
“I cannot thank you enough,” Lewis said to representatives from each of the three agencies receiving the awards. “We are absolutely dependent on this group of professionals. So, on behalf of the Hospital, and my Board of Trustees, I thank all of you for your efforts and everything you do each and every day, 24/7.”
Award presentations were made yesterday to three local ambulance services. Pictured are: (L-R) John Lewis, ACMH CEO; Dr. Ramzi Khalil, ACMH Cardiac Care Specialist; Daniel Christy, Indiana Citizens Ambulance Paramedic Supervisor; Larry Martin, Kittanning Hose Co. #6 Ambulance Service Manager & Paramedic; Chris O’Leath, Freeport Ambulance Director; Jason Orton, ACMH Pre-Hospital Care Coordinator; and Alexander Kuhn, American Heart Association.