continued from page 1 - CETRONIA

Volume 1, Issue 8
January 2008
C e t ro n i a A m b u l a n c e C o r p s
News Update
Ring in the New Year
INSIDE
THIS
ISSUE
by: Larry Wiersch, Executive Director
As we ring in the
New Year one may
think that it is a
time for celebration
and renewed
energy. Some may
believe that this
year is the year for
new thoughts,
ideas, resolutions, and friends. Yet others may
not think anything has or will really change for
them or in their lives. No matter what your
thoughts, why not think about the things that
make you smile, offer something to community
or simply make you feel good? What is it that
really gets you going or energizes you to really
push forward even when it’s tough?
Whether it is a friend, family, “things” or even
money, you and only you have the ability to get
that motor charged. Why not spend a few
moments this year and really start the year right
with a minute or two of reflection? Since all of us
have different motivators, it is almost impossible
for me to tell you what I think will work for you.
Therefore, I can only offer you things that I see in
my life, both personal and business, that might
just make it all worthwhile for you…..My personal
top ten in no particular order.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Spend some time doing nothing but
surrounding yourself with trusted and loyal
friends or family, simply listening to what
they have to share. Yes, listening, a skill
often overlooked.
Volunteer for something. Church, scouts,
sports, or even public safety. Many of you do
already, and many do it each and every day.
Unfortunately, many more are needed and it
really can make a difference.
Consider how you can impact someone’s life in
a positive way and then follow through. Hold
a hand, visit a needy senior, child, family
member or friend.
Spend some time with someone truly special.
Private time without distractions such as
phone, computer, pager, or TV. You might
discover something you never knew existed.
Take a trip. Visit a place you’ve never been
before. You don’t have to travel far, simply
seek and you might find a place that you never
knew existed.
Make a new friend. Introduce yourself to
someone you barely know (or don’t know at
all) and practice your social skills. Why not sit
at a table with people you’ve never met before
and move a little off your comfort zone?
Read. Need I say more? Pick up a good book
and find a quiet place to become one
with the content.
continued on page 13
Starting the New Year Right
2
HR Quote for the Year
2
Countdown to Your Success
3
Voice of Paratransit
4
Operations
5
QA/CQI
6
Billing
6
Safety Corner
7
Board of Trustees in Review
8
2008 Board of Trustees
9
2007 Board Overview
9
Trustee of the Month
10
Associate Suggestions
10
Support Services
11
January’s Puzzler
12
Finance
13
Communications Center
14
Welcome New Associates
14
The Lighter Side of Life
15
Cryptogram
15
Staff Meetings
16
Dates to Remember
16
1
START THE NEW YEAR RIGHT
by: Anita Hirsch
INDIVIDUAL NUTRITION COUNSELING will be available at no cost for members of the Cetronia Ambulance
Corps beginning in January 2008.
If you want to know if you are eating in a healthy way, if you feel your diet could be healthier, if you want to lose
weight, if your cholesterol is high, if your blood pressure is high, if you want to live a longer and healthier life or
may have other nutrition concerns, you can now speak with a dietitian.
Corps members can call Anita Hirsch MS, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian and nutrition coach to set up a time to
meet for 30 minutes. For the initial nutrition counseling visit, two forms need to be completed: a 3-day written
record of food intake and a diet history form. These forms will be provided by the dietitian. During the first
session, Anita Hirsch will go over the forms, check your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), weight, height, age, and
health record. The dietitian will advise as far as diet changes such as food intake, food selection, calories and
nutrients necessary to maintain health. A follow-up session can be scheduled as needed.
To set up a 30 minute appointment for a free nutrition counseling session, call or email Anita Hirsch MS, RD,
LDN, at 610-395-0010 or [email protected].
HR’s words to live by for 2008
RESOLUTIONS FOR LIVING A HAPPIER LIFE
“Choose to love rather than hate. ~ Choose to smile rather than frown.
Choose to build rather than destroy. ~ Choose to persevere rather than quit.
Choose to praise rather than gossip. ~ Choose to heal rather than wound.
Choose to give rather than take. ~ Choose to act rather than delay.
Choose to forgive rather than curse. ~ Choose to pray rather than despair.”
Author: Anonymous
Submitted by: Shawn McGovern
2
COUNTDOWN TO YOUR SUCCESS IN
by: Shawn McGovern
It's a new year and many of us are looking back on
the previous one, reflecting on what we've
accomplished and what we want for the future. For
many of you, that means learning how to incorporate
an exercise program to lose weight and get in better
shape. If you made a resolution last year to lose
weight and get into shape but didn't reach it, now's
the time to do it right.
Set your goals. Your first step in getting in shape is
to set some goals for yourself. Start with a long-term
goal and ask yourself specifically what you want. Do
you want to lose weight? If so, how much? Take
some time to figure out exactly what you want and
exactly what you need to reach that goal. The following tips will help you set your goals for the New Year:
Make sure your goal is reachable. If you're trying to
get back to the weight you were 20 years ago, that
may not be possible. You may need to adjust that
weight to fit in with your current age and
your lifestyle.
Make sure you have a plan. If you want to lose 30
pounds in 3 months, that means you'll be losing
about a pound a week. To lose a pound a week, you
need to create a calorie deficit of about 500 calories
per day with your diet and exercise program. Take
some time to look at your diet and figure out how
you can reduce your calories
Set short-term goals. While your long-term goal
might be to lose 30 pounds in 3 months, that's a long
way away. What are you going to do to keep yourself
motivated from day to day? Setting weekly goals
(i.e., I'll workout at the gym at least 3 times this
week) can help you stay on track and have something
to be proud of even if you're not losing weight
just yet.
Be realistic. Weight gain doesn’t happen overnight
and neither will weight loss...for some of you, it may
not happen for a while. Think of the first 3 months of
your exercise program as a learning period. You're
teaching your body how to eat healthy and exercise
regularly and your goal should be making exercise a
habit. If you can do that, the weight loss will follow.
Be flexible. You may find that the goal you set in
January isn't working for you come March or April. If
you're not able to reach your original goal, whether
it's because you don't have the time or the
commitment, don't be afraid to lower your standards
a bit and set a goal you can reach.
The Nitty-Gritty
Now that you have some idea of what you want to
accomplish, you need to figure out how to get there.
How much exercise do you need? How much will you
realistically do? Setting up a program can be as simple
or as complicated as you want it to be. At it's most
basic, it's as simple as sitting down with your calendar
and deciding when you're going to exercise.
Figure out where you're going to exercise. You can
workout at the gym, at home or on a break. Our current
membership plan at the Lehigh Valley Racquet and
Fitness Clubs provides you the opportunity to work out
at locations that are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. Look at your schedule and your calendar and
map out your plan before you get started.
Educate yourself. Before you jump into something,
take some time to learn
the basic guidelines for
exercise and weight loss.
The 24-7 Clubs we have
memberships with offer
FREE use of a personal
trainer who will meet with
you and help devise a
program to start you
off right.
Change your workouts
regularly. To build muscle and lose fat, you need
to be challenging your
body. That means going
faster or longer, adding
weight, reps and/or sets to
each workout and finding
new activities to keep
from hitting plateaus or
getting bored.
Start where you are. The biggest mistake beginners
make is taking on too much too soon. That can lead to
injury or burnout and you may find yourself struggling
to keep up that pace. Start slowly--if you can only
exercise for 10 minutes, start there and work your way
up. You'll enjoy exercise a whole lot more if you ease
into it and gradually work your way up.
REMEMBER...
The first step is the hardest!! Stay consistent and stay
motivated and soon you’ll find that leading a healthier
lifestyle becomes second nature.
3
The Voice of Paratransit
by: Stephanie Albitz
First I would like to say Happy New Year to all!
I would like to thank everyone who worked so hard last year. Everyone did a
wonderful job in making it a successful year in the Paratransit Division.
This is the perfect time of the year to make a fresh start. Remember what we
learned in the Customer Service Training Program? The impression we leave with
our customers happens in the first 5 seconds.
With that being said, all of us need to work hard in maintaining our equipment. If
you find something wrong with any of the equipment on the trucks, please “orange
card” the item so that it can be fixed as soon as possible. Also, now that winter is
upon us, more "grime" gets on the vehicle and in the vehicle. All of us need to make
an effort to keep our "billboards" as clean as we can.
The next item that I would like to address is the paperwork. On the top of your
paperwork, you want to make sure that whoever is doing the documentation fills in
their name on the top line. The drivers name needs to be documented on the
second line. We also need to make sure that we are getting signatures from the
patients and the nurses. With the new insurance guidelines in effect, if we do not
get the signatures, we will not get paid for the transports. Please make every effort
to get signatures! Remember, if there is family present, they can sign for the
patient as well. Also, when filling out the golden rod sheet, make sure it is
complete and write the documenters last name on the top of the sheet so billing will
know who wrote it.
A big thank you to everyone that works hard and dedicates themselves to their job!
4
Operations
by: Chris Peischl
Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were
enjoyable and that you had the opportunity to
spend it with the ones you love. Back in
December, my family and I went to Florida and
visited Mickey and all his friends. [I won’t bore
you with stories from our excursion, but imagine
dragging 4 kids for 8 days through the parks.] As
I was there being a very patient tourist, I was
able to take in some of the “different” aspects of
the parks as we wondered around central
Florida. This will be the first in a 3 part series
sharing what I took in and how it applies to us in
EMS in general and here at Cetronia specifically.
This month, I would like to talk about customer
service. Most of us are probably aware of the
legendary customer service Disney provides.
Everyone we came in contact with at any of the
parks always said hello and waved or had
something to say to the kids to keep them
interested. Granted, not everyone was always
smiling, but it never seemed that if they were in
a bad mood they were sharing that bad mood
with their guests. When you sit and wonder
why, just look at the cost of coming to their
parks. The cost for a family of 4 for 1 day at one
of their parks comes to about $250 or so, include
food, travel and hotel rooms and you are at
$1,000 a day. If people are going to spend that
kind of money, and Disney wants them to come
back, the last thing they want their guests to say
is how horrible they were treated. Disney’s aim
is to make everyone feel special and every
employee strives to make that happen from the
check in personnel at the hotel to the bus drivers
taking you to the parks to the ride operators.
How does amusement park customer service
equate to EMS customer service, when we are
totally different industries? Do we not deal with
customers on a daily basis? Don’t we want our
customers, including the patient and family, to
have a “pleasant” experience while they are in
our care?
As a parent, as many of you are, if your child
needs to go in the ambulance, wouldn’t you
want the crew to take care of your needs as well
as your child’s? I think the answers to all of the
above questions is yes.
If you are not happy with Disney, you can go to
Dorney and vice versa. If you call 911 and live in
our coverage area, you have to use us, that is
correct as well. But, we don’t have exclusive
rights to our coverage area. Municipalities can
chose other organizations to provide emergency
medical services.
As for the
non-emergent
side of our
organization,
there are people
out there starting
their own
businesses and
will do what they
need to do to stay
in business. We
need to make
sure we set
ourselves apart
from the competition, doing that little
something extra can make all the difference.
Like Disney, Cetronia has a history of providers
who go that extra mile to help meet the
customer’s needs. Many of us have been in this
business for a long time. Rarely are their times
when you cannot take time to explain to the
families what is going on, what will be
happening or taking the time to make sure they
understand what is happening. Going that extra
mile for our customers is what sets Cetronia
apart from other organizations. Many of our
associates provide excellent customer service on
top of excellent patient care and do go that extra
mile. I salute you and thank you for treating
each and every patient or family member, like
you or your family member would like to be
treated. Going through the training session on
customer service is one of the little things that
sets us apart from other services. I think it
helped justify that we are on the right path as
well as giving us some more tools to improve
and continue the tradition of going the extra
mile.
Next month, I will talk about progress and how it
helps make our lives a little easier. Thank you for
all your hard work.
Have a safe and healthy New Year!
5
QA/CQI
by: Jon Hoerner
As we move forward with the new QA/CQI program, there will
be a heightened attention to documentation skills. The
importance of good documentation skills absolutely cannot be
overstated. Good documentation is very important because for
two reasons: tripsheets are legal documents, and tripsheets
need to be accurate for efficient and accurate billing
processing.
Please keep the following points in mind as you write your
tripsheets:
There must be at least two sets of vitals documented for
each patient transport. This is a requirement per our
Medical Director. If you cannot document two sets of vitals,
you MUST explain the reason in your narrative.
Likewise, document your GCS assessment at two different
times.
Don't forget to fill in the most appropriate protocol code for
each tripsheet. This is especially important with the new
QA process.
Please write legibly on your tripsheets. If your handwriting
isn't able to be read easily, it may be misinterpreted at
a later time.
Make sure your times are accurate, including the
vitals and treatment in your flow chart.
Make sure that your narrative contains a complete
History of Present Condition and Physical Exam;
including non-emergency transports.
Don't forget to document your pertinent negatives!
Billing by: Tina Fatzinger
This month the billing department would like to discuss
analyzing of your EPCR. Once the tripsheet has been
scanned and uploaded, the next step is analyzing the trip
sheet to verify the correct information has been
uploaded. In the analyzing process, the system will
automatically stop at the mandatory/required fields.
At this point, it is the crew’s responsibility to verify the
information showing it is the same as what is on the
paper tripsheet. The most common fields of error are:
incorrect pickup location, receiving facility, EMD codes,
times/staff member under vitals and treatment,
incorrect trip number and/or date of service. Should
you have any questions or would like additional training
please contact your supervisor for arrangements.
6
Safety Corner
by: Brian Rabenold
MVA—Scene Safety
Do you remember our discussion covering SCENE
SAFETY in our Driver Safety and Awareness
Refresher Course this fall? If you forgot some of the
points let me remind you to look at the new SOG
provided in your course materials, SOG 101.13.
As we also discussed in the refresher course,
increased national attention has been given to
scene safety and many agencies have committed
to improving scene safety prior to regulations which
may be soon imposed.
Over the past few weeks, several “near misses” at
the scenes of MVA’s have been reported in our area.
The practice of constant vigilance when at the scene
as well as reducing on scene time should be thought
of before we even arrive at the incident.
Here is additional news with an internet site for
even more information;
The following is a recent incident documented to
remind us what can happen in the blink of an eye;
Early Sunday morning this last weekend, an
interesting event occurred. A crew of EMS, PD, and
FD were on the scene of a bad MVA on I-95 in
Greenwich, CT. In a routine maneuver, the local FD
station had positioned an engine with lights
engaged diagonally across and behind the scene, to
protect from oncoming traffic. Suddenly, a car
carrying 3 30-something y/o people slammed into
the engine (apparently at a very high speed), killing
all 3 occupants (quite morbidly, apparently). NO
ONE else on the scene was hurt!
I was off that morning (thank God), but hearing the
report from someone who responded gave me
great appreciation for the high level of scene safety
on the scene that day. Needless to say, I was very
glad none of my colleagues in any of the services
had been injured in any way. Our FD's standard
response for any MVA, especially on the highways,
is to position an engine in this manner, blocking the
entire scene from oncoming traffic. While I never
fully appreciated this in the past, the benefit spoke
for itself this weekend, and I have a renewed faith in
this technique!
I'm posting this as an anecdote for those of us out
there who don't always appreciate scene safety,
and to hear what some other agencies are doing to
protect their guys/girls on the highways and
dangerous roads. I know from past experiences at
different agencies that scene safety is NOT always
provided to this extent... is that still the case? Be
safe out there!
Nation's First Responders Unite For Safer,
Quicker Clearance of Traffic Incidents
From NVFC E-Update
In an unprecedented show of unity among highway
agencies, emergency medical professionals,
firefighters, tow truck operators, and 9-1-1 call
centers, nineteen national organizations announced
the launch of the National Unified Goal (NUG) for
Traffic Incident Management on November 20. The
major objectives of the NUG are to address
responder safety; safe, quick clearance; and
prompt, reliable, interoperable communications.
The NUG was developed by the National Traffic
Incident Management Coalition (NTIMC), of which
the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is a
member. The NVFC Board of Directors adopted the
NUG for Traffic Incident Management at its Spring
Meeting on March 31.
“The safety of our
nation’s first
responders is
paramount to our
mission,” said
NVFC Chairman
Philip C.
Stittleburg. “Every
year firefighters,
emergency
medical personnel,
and other traffic
incident
responders are
killed or
injured during
continued on page 11
7
2007 Board of Trustees in Review
by: Gregory Kile
Chairman
For more than half a century, the Cetronia Ambulance
Corps has been on a mission. The goal of this quest is
a lofty one: To be the Leader in Emergency Medical
Services, Transportation and Community Health
Resources. The keyword is Leader. And it is no simple
task living up to the responsibilities that come with
being at the vanguard of a profession as dynamic and
demanding as Emergency Medical Service. Because
leaders very often navigate through uncharted
territory, it is essential that we exercise extreme
caution before forging ahead.
So how can we as leaders in our profession be sure we
are right before taking the next critical steps in our
quest? The short answer is: Planning. And powering
the planning that is shaping the future of the Cetronia
Ambulance Corps is that most profound of assets—
our own people.
Ever since I began my association with this proud
organization over three years ago, I have marveled at
the expertise and dedication of my colleagues at
Cetronia. Working with you has always been a very
moving and enriching experience for me. That
experience reached new heights when I had the
privilege to address the General Membership at our
meeting on December 12, 2007. More than 50
members attended that gathering and it was stirring
to have so many of our own first responders in one
place; the depth of EMS skill and dedication was
energizing. Much of that energy was generated by
8
8
our Executive Director, Larry Wiersch and his
extraordinary administrative team of Rick Dotter,
Tina Fatzinger, Shawn McGovern, Michael Nagel,
Chris Peischl and Michelle Seidel.
In my regular line of work for Valley Preferred, we talk
a lot about core competencies. Here at Cetronia, we
are fortunate to have management leaders who have
made the very term competency an understatement.
I think the words “intense excellence” better describe
the manner in which these individuals attend to their
roles in Finance, Human Resources, Project
Management, Operations and Marketing. The strong
leadership position we enjoy and the planning
necessary to maintain this position well into the future
are largely due to the efforts of these inspired
individuals.
Our gratitude is also extended to members of our
Board of Trustees. This past year after many years of
valued service and counsel, Leon Rodenbach and Bob
Flemming met the term limits of their trustee
responsibilities. Re-elected to continue in trustee
capacities were Charles Deprill, Walter Sanders and
myself. And the newest member of the Board is
Steven Ridgway. Being on the inside of this group,
and having served on numerous Boards of other
community and corporate organizations, I can assure
you that the degree of experience and dedication of
your Trustees is second to none.
Your Management team and Board of Trustees are
united in our work of planning to maintain the mantle
of leadership for our organization as we forge into the
future. We are ably guided by the specific expertise of
our Board Committee members, as well as by the
ongoing support of our general membership. My
sincere thanks to all for the opportunity to work with
you in building an organization that has truly earned
the title of “Leader” in our field…and in our quest to
protect and preserve the health of families throughout
the communities we serve.
Introducing
Cetronia Ambulance Corps
2008 Board of Trustees
John Bruno, D.O.
Russell R. Clelland, CTP, CIA
Charles Deprill
James F. Dunleavy, CMA
Bruce Ellsweig, M.D.
Associate Medical Director
Karen Ellsweig
Gregory G. Kile
Kevin G. Neiley
Ex-officio Chair
Dennis Pfleiger, RRT, NHA
Steven Ridgeway
Faith Ring, RN
Richard J. Snyder
Walter Sanders
Larry A. Wiersch, Executive Director
Ex-officio
William Zajdel, D.O.
Medical Director
Robert Zentz
2007 Committee Overview
Governance Committee
Provides oversight and/or maintenance of: General
Membership meeting process, perspective trustee
interview process, yearly trustee election process,
resolves matters of significant importance when the
full Board of Trustees is unable to assemble, reviews
and/or recommends Board conduct and assures
By-law compliance.
Gregory Kile
Faith Ring
Leon Rodenbach
Walter Sanders
Larry Wiersch
Robert Zentz
Internal & External Relations Committee
Provides oversight and/or development of internal
and external relations monitoring/communications,
community outreach program development,
inter-agency networking opportunities, community
education program development and educational
opportunities.
Walter Sanders, Chair
Charles Deprill
Randy Hartrnaft
Shawn McGovern
Faith Ring
Michelle Seidel
Richard Snyder
Larry Wiersch
Planning & Development
Provides oversight and/or maintenance of strategic
focus/planning, technology/information systems
development, business opportunities, capital
acquisition development, marketing development
and physical plant development.
Robert Zentz, Chair
James Dunleavy
Gregory Kile
Walter Sanders
Michelle Seidel
Larry Wiersch
Performance Oversight Committee
Provides oversight and/or maintenance of key
performance indicators for the Compliance and
Finance Committees
Leon Rodenbach, Chair
John Bruno, D.O.
Bruce Ellsweig, M.D.
Robert Flemming
Kevin Neiley
Dennis Pfleiger
Larry Wiersch
continued on page 10
9
9
2007 committee overview
continued from page 9
Compliance Committee
Responsible for billing compliance oversight,
reviews HIPAA and compliance related charting
issues and conducts quarterly internal audits.
Introducing January’s Trustee
Dr. Bruce Ellsweig
Since 1998, Dr. Bruce
Ellsweig has served on
Cetronia Ambulance
Corps Board of
Trustees, as its
Associate Medical
Director. In 2008,
Dr. Ellsweig will be
recognized for 10
years of service to
the organization.
John Bruno, D.O., Chair
Tina Fatzinger
Jon Hoerner
Shawn McGovern
Brian Rabenold
Sheila VanHorn
Bob Walbert
Larry Wiersch
Finance Committee
Holds fiduciary responsibility to the Board of
Trustees, reviews monthly financial reports,
suggests investment policies and develops
strategic financial plans.
Leon Rodenbach, Chair
Rick Dotter
James Dunleavy
Robert Flemming
Randy Hartranft
Gregory Kile
Kevin Neiley
Richard Snyder
Larry Wiersch
Currently, Dr. Ellsweig has a private practice in
Family Medicine located in Allentown.
In 1970 Dr. Ellsweig received his BS in Chemistry
from Ursinus College and in 1974 he earned his MD
from Thomas Jefferson University Medical School.
He serves as the Chairman of the following
organizations: The Greater Lehigh Valley IPA,
The Liaison Committee, The IPA/Payors for SIGNA,
Blue Cross, United Health Care and Blue Shield
Committee and The BucksMont Katrina Animal
Shelter Committee. He also serves on numerous
other Boards in the Lehigh Valley area.
2008 Board Committee Members
New committee members for Board of Trustee
committees will be assigned by the Board of
Trustees at their January board meeting.
The new committee roster will be reported in the
February edition of the Cetronia Ambulance Corps
Newsletter.
Dr. Ellsweig received many awards over the years
which include: The New York Festivals Silver
Medalist which he received in 1993, he also received
a video award for “Case Studies in Depression,” as
well as an award for “Medical Consultant,” in which
he was the writer and the director.
He has also written several publications and has
been featured in numerous video productions over
the years.
Cetronia Ambulance is pleased to have his
experience and expertise on its Board of Trustees.
Associate Suggestions
Suggestion: Purchase Vending Machines outright. If approved, the bike team coordinator would take
responsibility of ensuring the stocking, receipts, and acquisition of more supplies and any income can be
distributed to the bike team to help offset cost.
Outcome: A new vendor has agreed to take on our vending business for the immediate future. The idea can be
revisited if we look to change our vendor in the future.
Continued on page 14
10
Support Services
by: Michael Nagel
You’ll notice that blue office paper recycling bins have appeared at all of our stations. We now
recycle shredded and whole office paper but beware of HIPAA! Patient-related documents must
be shredded before disposal. These bins are for clean office paper only please, no cardboard,
food wrapping or newspaper.
Safety is a team sport! Snow removal and ice control at our facilities is the responsibility of the
landlord, contractor or municipality, depending on the facility. Hazards can appear due to
refreeze, particularly at night and there is also the occasional unexpected dusting. We have
shovels, ice choppers and deicer at all of our facilities. If you see a potential problem, please take
a moment to take care of it personally – your colleagues and our visitors will thank you.
Be kind to your outdoor shore line! Please remember to coil and hang the unused shorelines at
Stage 12. Left on the ground, they get frozen into the snow and then damaged by the snow plow.
Unfortunately we have to try to plow the snow towards the shoreline side of the building – if we
pile it to the west, it melts across the lot during the day and refreezes at night. Help keep our
outdoor shorelines “in the clear.”
Have a safe New Year!
continued from page 7, safety corner
roadside emergency scenes. The National Unified
Goal is a move in the right direction to improve
communication and coordination among
responders, as well as urge drivers to slow down
and move over when they pass emergency
scenes.”
Through the NUG, the leading national responder
organizations pledged to work together to
improve communication and coordination at
crash scenes in order to minimize factors that can
delay road clearance. In turn, the responders are
asking motorists to slow down and move over
when they approach traffic incident scenes, in
order to reduce the number of responders injured
and killed from being struck by passing vehicles
while working at crash scenes, and to enable the
responders to re-open travel lanes quicker.
clearance. "Traffic congestion is one of the single
largest threats to the nation's economic
prosperity and way of life, and costs the United
States an estimated $200 billion per year,"
Capka said. “Traffic incidents account for about
one-quarter of all congestion on U.S. roadways.
For every minute that a freeway travel lane is
blocked during a peak travel period, four
minutes of travel delay results after the incident
is cleared. More efficient traffic incident
management will reduce congestion and protect
travelers and responders.”
Learn more about the National Unified Goal at
http://nvfc.org/files/
documents/2007proposednug207.pdf.
Federal Highway Administrator J. Richard Capka
congratulated NTIMC on its leadership in
developing the National Unified Goal, and
underscored the importance of safe, quick crash
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January’s Puzzler
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EclipseCrossword.com
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Finance
Across
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A dog sound
Very hungry
Pea containers
Burning light
Hair raising
Gave away
Male family members
Defrauds
Deer meat
loom up
Game place
Frozen flakes
Do over
May Celebrant
Information
Coagulates
Diet word
Heavenly messenger
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Champagne glass
Edge
Manger bedding
Small fish
Sheriff's star
Eve's son
Swerve
Brain area
Gas
Acts on stage
Mental pictures
Tasteless
Rental contract
Consumed
Box an item
Departs
Male hogs
Apple insides
Mistake
by Rick Dotter
North Whitehall Township, South
Whitehall Township and Upper Macungie
Township have enacted ordinances for the
Local Services Tax (LST). This $52.00 tax,
collected by the Parkland School District
Tax Office becomes effective January 1,
2008. This tax is to be withheld in equal
amounts on a per pay period basis, unlike
the OPT or EMST, which this tax replaces.
There is no applicable collection fee with
regards to LST.
If you have any questions regarding this
change, please contact me directly at
extension 519.
Ring in the New Year
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Down
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Reach a high
Float processions
Fly
As well
Pronoun for a ship
Puts on the stove
Get away
Treats for a dog
Era
Be afraid of
Anger
Memos
Answers
Desert water hole
King of the beasts
No partner
College term
continued from page 1
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Tractor trailer
A hole through
Barely flowing
Glossy
Three feet
Terrible
Rainbow shape
Animal hides
Radio fan
Rise above
Positive about
Animal with a rack
Lodges
Hears more than once
Young fellow
In addition
Hurricane’s center
Research. Study new ways to do your
job, handle your problems, care for
your patient’s, or complete your
tasks. Then implement them!!
9. Do something nice for yourself.
Think of something you really want
to do for you, just you…and do it!
10. Check out nature and all of its’
beauty. Maybe it’s a hike, bike ride,
car trip or cruise. No matter what it
is, thank God you have the strength,
ability, and freedom to see and do
whatever you wish to do. Many can’t.
So as you start the year, I challenge everyone to have a very Happy New Year and
reflect on things that get you going.
Whether you use my list or create your
own, why not think about it? After all, it
only takes a few minutes…..a few minutes
that might just make your year start off
right.
Happy New Year!
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Communications Center
by: Bob Walbert
Help us help you….
I am fortunate enough to have the ability to sit back
from time to time and watch the flow of our system.
While at times our system is flawless there are other
times that things aren’t so easy. I’ve heard many of
you clearly ask for information when you’re going to
be late for calls. While our system doesn’t allow this
to be automatic I’ve asked the Controller to get a
message to you via pager when possible. I’ll ask
each of you to please keep an eye on the pager, also
the first part of the pager message is the Run# and
the very next part is the scheduled pick up time.
We receive telephone calls from doctors offices
from time to time telling us that a patient is ready
and when we tell them that we are scheduled for a
certain time they say “we told the crew that the
patient would be ready at such and such of time.” If
you have a doctors office tell you a patient’s return
time, please have them call us directly, (remember
we have the business cards to hand out), or advise
the Controller when you clear the call.
Another area for improved communications
between field providers and controllers is for field
providers to be more specific in their requests. For
example, just recently a field provider called into
the communications center and requested to speak
to an Operations Supervisor. The Operations
Associate Suggestions
supervisor was busy and unable to answer their
cell phone at the time. A few minutes later the same
crew called the communications center back and
asked if another supervisor was available for them
to speak to. To make a long story short, the crew
was on scene with a bariatric patient and needed
another unit as well as the bariatric litter.
Remember, the controllers are there to assist crews
for these types of requests and it is not necessary to
speak to an Operations Supervisor in these types of
situations. To be more efficient, it is important for
both the controller and the field provider to share
the “big picture.” So in the future let your controller
know right away what additional resources you may
need.
As we are fresh into the HPEMS system one of the
important factors in HPEMS is accurate times. As a
friendly reminder our Comm. Center only has a
scanner for the fire frequency’s, which is not very
reliable. While it’s understood that you are required
to move to Fire South or Fire North when on certain
calls, remember that your status change needs to
be updated with Cetronia Comm. for accuracy.
Again this is not just for fire calls this is for all calls,
so if you don’t hear the Controller acknowledging
you, please verify to insure accuracy of times.
If you have any suggestions to improve our day to
day communications feel free to send me an email
or stop by and visit.
Welcome New Associates
continued from page 10
Suggestion: Could we get our names and certifications put onto our work shirts so that other
people in EMS or our patients have a better idea
who we are and what our certification in EMS is?
Outcome: Badges should be worn so that other
responders and patients can see your level of
certification and your name. As the dress code is
reviewed in the future we will look into the addition of names on uniform apparel.
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Kathleen Knight -Paramedic
Joined the Cetronia team
on November 30th
Welcome Kathleen!
Jeffrey Nutche - Paramedic
Joined the Cetronia team
on November 30th
Welcome Jeffrey!
On the lighter side of life…
When things in your life seem almost too much to
handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough,
remember this story.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and
had some items in front of him. When the class
began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and
empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with
golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was
full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and
poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the
golf balls. He then asked the students again if the
jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and
poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up
everything else. He asked once more if the jar was
full. The students responded with a unanimous
"yes."
family, your children, your health, your friends and
your favorite passions -- and if everything else was
lost and only they remained, your life would
still be full. The pebbles are the other things that
matter like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everything else -- the small stuff. "If you
put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there
is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The
same goes for life. If you spend all your time and
energy on the small stuff you will never have room
for the things that are important to you."
"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your
happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend
time with your parents. Visit with grandparents.
Take time to get medical checkups. Take your
spouse out to dinner. There will always be time to
clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of
the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set
your priorities. The rest is just sand."
The professor then produced a couple of beers from
under the table and poured the entire contents into
the jar effectively filling the empty space between
the sand. The students laughed.
One of the students raised her hand and inquired
what the beer represented. The professor smiled
and said, "I'm glad you asked."
"The beer just shows you that no matter how full
your life may seem, there's always room for beers
with friends."
"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided,
"I want you to recognize that this jar represents your
life. The golf balls are the important things -- your
Have a happy New Year!
Cryptogram
Author: Anonymous
submitted by: Teresa Szajkovics
Author: Unknown
15
Have a safe and happy new year!
2008 Dates to Remember
2008 Staff Meetings
February 12, 2008
May 20, 2008
September 9, 2008
National Volunteer Week
April 27th—May 3rd
Volunteer Dinner
April 29th, 6:00
Location to be announced
November 18, 2008
EMS Week
All staff meetings will be held at the Broadway location
Meeting Time: 6:00 pm
May 18—24th
General Membership Meeting
December 9th
Dinner : 6:00 pm
Meeting: 7:00 pm
Newsletter Ideas or Submissions?
7355 William Avenue, Suite 700
Allentown, PA 18106
www.cetronia.org
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Email your suggestions or submissions
for the Cetronia Ambulance Corps Newsletter
to [email protected]
The Leader in Emergency Medical Services, Transportation and Community Health Resources
16