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Mount St. Mary's Hospital's EmStar Emergency Department to hold 12th annual salute to local EMS personnel

by jmaloni

Submitted

Mon, May 11th 2015 12:20 pm

The EmStar Emergency Department of Mount St. Mary's Hospital will recognize local emergency medical service professionals at a 6:30 p.m. awards dinner Wednesday, May 20, at the Niagara Falls Country Club. Mount St. Mary's Hospital and Exigence/TeamHealth, the group of physicians who staff the hospital's EmStar Emergency Department, sponsor the event.

The dinner will be held in conjunction with the hospital's recognition of national EMS Week. Dr. Lloyd Brown W. Brown, chief of the department of emergency medicine/EmStar, is the organizer of the event, which salutes EMS excellence.

"As EMS professionals are the first responders on the scene, the initial treatment and care assessment they provide to patients is extremely important and often life-saving," Brown said.

Judith A. Maness, Mount St. Mary's president and CEO, said, "We greatly appreciate all that these dedicated EMS professionals and community volunteers do to provide immediate patient care on their way to our emergency department. This awards dinner is an opportunity to say 'Thank you.' "

Awards to be presented include:

Excellence in Education Award - Niagara University's Office of Continuing Education

•Over the past 35 years, Niagara University's Office of Continuing Education had provided for the continuous training of emergency medical technicians for all of Niagara County. Many have gone on to become physicians, nurses, physician assistants and other professional health care providers. Through the advancement of its EMT training programs, pre-hospital care has evolved from the delivery of basic life support in the 1980s to today's delivery of advanced life support. Many lives have been saved and will continue to be saved as a result of the university's dedication to provide excellence in health care education.

Service Recognition - Sherri Reischel, chief/paramedic; Fred Ohlson, EMT-CC; Phil Richardson, assistant chief/EMT; Timothy Newman, EMT; and John Voutour, driver - all from Tri-Community Ambulance; and Richard Donner, EMT; Nicholas DiCarlo, junior firefighter; and Jamie Martin, junior firefighter - all with St. Johnsburg Fire Co.

•The abovementioned will be recognized for assisting the call of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle. St. Johnsburg responded and Tri-Community Ambulance arrived within minutes and transported the patient to EmStar. Within minutes of arrival at the ER, the patient was stabilized, but still in very critical condition before being transferred and unfortunately passing away from injuries. The teamwork of the crews allowed the family to spend time with the victim and be able to say goodbye.

Service Recognition Award - Joshua Lengen, paramedic; Kenneth Black, EMT; Philip Richardson, assistant chief/EMT; Daniel Gross, junior member - all from Tri-Community Ambulance; and Sherri Reischel, paramedic/firefighter; Nichols DiCarlo, junior firefighter; and Jamie Marin, junior firefighter - all with St. Johnsburg Fire Co.

•These individuals will be honored for responding to a child who was not breathing. Within four minutes of the call, CPR was underway, ventilations were provided and a cardiac monitor applied. Patient was eventually transferred to Women and Children's Hospital and made a successful recovery.

Special Recognition Award - Mickey Suitor, Youngstown Fire Co.

•On behalf of the EmStar staff, Suitor will be saluted for his exceptional pre-hospital care and his dedication to the community. Suitor can always be counted on to react appropriately in the best interests of his patients. He is respected among the EmStar staff for his assessment of a patient situation and is confident in his intuition and information he provides. Along with volunteering his time in the field, he is a member of the volunteer pre-hospital committee and regularly provides helpful suggestions.

Best Save Award - Brendon O'Keefe, EMT-B; Jennifer Seefeldt, EMT-B - both with Wilson No. 1 Fire Co; Tom O'Keefe, driver; and Connor Drum, crew - both with Ransomville Fire Co.; and Shannon Rider, crew with Olcott Fire Co.

•These EMS professionals will be lauded for responding to a call of a patient in distress. En route to EmStar, patient went into respiratory arrest. Crew quickly began assisting the patient with ventilations and supplemental oxygen. With the quick intervention and work of the ER staff at EmStar, the patient had a positive outcome.

Best Save Award - Brendon O'Keefe, EMT-B; Jennifer Seefeldt, EMT-B; and John Devlin, driver - all with Wilson No. 1 Fire Co.; Dave Piwtorak, AEMT-CC; and Kevin Macaulay - both with Upper Mountain Fire Co.

•These honorees will be recognized for responding to a call of a patient actively seizing. Patient was placed on oxygen and transported to EmStar where the crew provided supplemental oxygen en route. Upper Mountain called to make an ALS intercept and Narcan administered. Upon arrival, patient was stable and breathing independently. Thanks to quick assessment and rapid treatment, the patient had a positive outcome.

Best Save Award - Russell Jackman II, AEMT-CC; Brendan O'Keefe, EMT-B; Chris Strock, AEMT; Pat Daul, driver; Rob Siegmann, crew; Matt Becker, crew; Russell Jackman III, crew; and Paul Stephenson, crew - all with Wilson No. 1 Fire Co.

•This award is presented to those who reacted to an unresponsive male with low blood/glucose reading and no history of diabetes. Medication was administered and patient slightly improved. With medical direction from EmStar, second dose of medication was administrated. With crew's rapid assessment of the situation, and subsequent communication and treatment, patient had a positive outcome.

Best Save Award - Russell Jackman II, AEMT-CC; Jeff Mornoe, EMT-B; Chris Strock, AEMT; Cherish Edgarton, EMT-B; Robert J. Liddell, driver; Kenny Champion, crew; David Desso, crew; and Bill McInerney, crew - all with Wilson No. 1 Fire Co.

•These people will be honored for responding to a call for a patient possibly having a stroke. Crew called a "code stroke" into the EmStar Emergency Department and, upon arrival, ER staff immediately initiated protocol. It was determined the patient had a bleed in the brain. Because of the quick assessment by the crew, the early notification to EmStar, and the quick treatment by EmStar staff, the patient is now walking with limited effects from the stroke.

Best Save Award - Capt. John Asklar, Niagara Falls Fire Department

•While off duty at the Dwyer Arena at Niagara University, Asklar assisted with an unconscious patient. He initiated CPR as NU security brought a defibrillator to administer shock and chest compressions. Patient resumed breathing and was transported to EmStar and subsequently recovered.

Best Save Award - Ransomville Fire Co.

•Firefighters responded to a patient who was having difficultly. A "code stroke" was called and the ER team met the patient immediately upon arrival. The patient was taken for a CT scan. Within 33 minutes, the patient was given the live-saving drug tPA, and has now fully recovered. Since the responders immediately implemented best practices, along with medical expertise and precise teamwork, the patient was discharged home in less than 36 hours after the incident without any residual symptoms.

Best Save Award - John Gansworth, Terrence Broeker, George Green and Josh Thomas (extrication crew); Rich Lamar, driver; Bob York, driver - all with Lewiston Fire Co. No. 2; and John Malinchock; Dave Piwtorak, AEMT-CC; and Terry Hailey - all with Upper Mountain.

•Personnel was dispatched to a two-vehicle, head-on accident. Upon arrival, crews found both drivers trapped and in need of extrication. Because of severity of both injuries, both drivers were transported via Mercy Flight to ECMC. A passenger was transported to EmStar for treatment.

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