january birthdays - CETRONIA

Cetronia Ambulance Corps
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013
2013...A Look Into the Future of
Cetronia Ambulance Corps
Volume 7, Issue 1
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Happy New Year everyone! I hope you holidays were perfect and
filled with joy and friendship. May 2013 be a year filled with prosperity and good health! The New Year for me is always like a new
beginning filled with opportunity and challenge that keeps us on
our toes as we prepare for a new journey filled with excitement.
As you read the articles in this edition of our newsletter, you will
read about where we’ve been, where we’re going and what we
hope to accomplish. My article is dedicated to the continuous
evolution of Cetronia Ambulance Corps as we proceed in our leadership role in providing the very best community EMS, education
Larry Wiersch, CEO
and medical transportation services possible.
Wearing Red
2
Making a Difference
3
Welcome New Associates
4
Perfect…Not Me, Not You
4
Development News
5
The Great Ambulance Chase
St. Luke's News
American Ambulance Assoc.
5
6
7
Benner's Grille
8
Ambulances Donated-Haiti
10
As everyone is aware, this year we will embark on the physical construction of the new
Joint Operations, Education, and Lehigh County Medico-Legal Forensics Center. We
have finally completed the majority of the required permitting and much of the temporary financing for the project to proceed. Keep your eyes open for the release of our
new and very compelling video as to what Cetronia means to our community and why
everyone should be excited to be continuously supportive of our new facility. As I
stated often times before, the physical structure is what may be visible, but truly the
purpose and meaning behind the establishment of this very unique partnership with
Lehigh County and others as we proceed is what this iconic project is all about. I’ll let
your mind determine what this means for you and your family as …..continued on page 2
Operations Trivia Game
11
Kudos
12
Medical Director Award
12
2012-CAC Year In Review
13
Winter Outdoor Safety
14
Celebrate The Future
15
American Heart Month
16
Cetronia Birthdays
16
Cetronia Ambulance Corps © All Rights Reserved
2013 A Look Into the Future of
Cetronia Ambulance Corps
… continued from page 1
I am certain the benefits will be very clear once the building is completed and our community reaps the rewards.
The continued evolution of Cetronia Ambulance Corps as an entity is what makes us so unique, in that we never fear change
and always accept the challenges it offers. As all are aware, the only constant in today’s healthcare environment is change
itself and as such we are always evaluating the environment and seeking opportunities to help us grow, flourish and prosper.
Prosper not for any one individual, but for those who live, work and play in our communities, as our charitable mission to serve
the community is our only true purpose for being. The one thing that is abundantly clear to me is that we cannot do this alone.
As we see the evolution of healthcare unfold before us, I am certain that we will find new partners within the community to help
us in achieving the very best services in EMS, education and community health that our Lehigh Valley has ever seen. With this
in mind, the future of healthcare (including pre, post and acute hospital care) will involve many different entities working together to achieve new levels of accountability, outcomes and professional care. While I
am not a fortune teller by any stretch of the imagination, I am certain that you will see new
partnerships evolve while old ones are further enhanced to deliver new levels of service
and care that our community has never experienced before. While some may fear and
others may ignore, I assure you that we will embrace opportunity and change, so as to be
the very best in customer service and care, emergency medical services, education and
transportation to our community as we continue down the road to a new and revitalized
healthcare system and service delivery model.
Thank you to the many that make us who we are and what we have become!
Larry
In 2003, the American Heart Association,
along with the National Heart, Lung and
Blood Institute created National Wear Red
Day® to raise awareness of heart disease as
the No. 1 killer of women. Each year, on the
first Friday in February, millions of women
and men come together to wear red, take
action and commit to fighting this deadly disease.
For 10 years, women have been fighting heart disease individually and together as part of the Go Red For
Women movement. They have proudly worn red, shared stories of survival and begun to understand the
truth about women’s hearts and how heart disease can be prevented.
2
Making a Difference
by: Chris Peischl, EMT-P, Director of Operations
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and had the chance to enjoy
time with their families. As we
move into 2013, we should take
the time to reflect back on our
accomplishments while looking
forward to the future; always
looking to be better than we
were the previous year.
Looking back, I must first congratulate and thank the field
staff for the compassionate care they provide each and
every day! I met with LVHN cardiac staff to review our
“misses” for 12 lead MI patients; while we had a total of 10
potentially identified, in depth review reveals that only one
was an actual “miss”! The others were reviewed and we
could not confirm if it was a STEMI or if the patient presented later (even the Cardiologists and RN weren’t sure
they would have called a STEMI). Very impressive for a
pre-hospital setting! 99% success rate!! Our times from
door to balloon, even on the “misses”, were well below the
national average. Moving forward, our goal is now 90
minutes from EMS contact with the patient to balloon time
(E2B). I don’t anticipate any issues meeting this time frame,
as we have already been succeeding in the goal regularly.
In fact, we have had calls where the patient was in the cath
lab in less than 60 minutes from EMS contact. Here is one
piece of information that I hope you share with everyone you
talk to - LVHN did a retrospective review on outcomes and
found that patients that have chest pain and call 911 have a
better outcome than patients that drive themselves to the
emergency room.
Another area where we have provided exceptional care was
in cardiac arrest cases. Some quick statistics from this past
year (through December 26th), we had 51 cardiac arrest patients that that we transported to the ER. Of those 51, 18
had ROSC (return
of spontaneous
circulation), which
equates to 35%.
We often find ourselves waiting for
the outcomes from
the hospitals, but we
at least gave them a chance to survive that otherwise they
would not have had. Starting in February, which is American
Heart Month, we will be rolling out a new and optional protocol for CPR which is referred to as High Performance CPR.
If you recall, back in the fall we had 4 of our crew personnel
selected to participate in High Performance CPR (HPCPR)
as part of the Resuscitation
Academy. These crew members reviewed the principles of
HP CPR and demonstrated it
effectively. The new data they
presented on outcomes using
this method was eye-opening.
We will be sending a few people
to be “train-the-trainers” and all
field providers will be trained on
it in the upcoming months. We will also be putting people
through the certification course during February as well. The
ultimate goal for our CPR re-cert is to have everyone’s card
come due in February. Stay tuned….there will be more information to follow.
Some other changes for 2013 include our QA/QI program,
which will get a little closer to 100% review of all calls.
During 2012, myself, Paul Wilhelm, Brad Miller and Matt
Sadrovitz reviewed a certain category of calls. Now, Les
Polk and Dave Berger will be joining us to help review a larger number and type of calls. We are looking for EMT’s to
join us as well, please see me and we can talk about what
the expectations are for reviewing charts.
Just goes to show that the care YOU provide to your
patients IS making a difference. We must continue to
emphasize with our patients and their families that they
should always call EMS for all chest pain as early EMS
can mean the difference between returning to a productive life or perhaps spending the rest of their lives with
debilitating cardiac muscle damage.
Finally, but most importantly, I would like to thank you all for
the great job you do. As you can see from the brief review
mentioned above, you truly make a difference in patient outcomes!
The rally cry for this year……
“BE BETTER TODAY THAN YOU WERE YESTERDAY!”
As always, let’s be careful out there.
3
Wel com e
N ew
A ss oci ate
Conor McLaughlin
VOL. EMT
Hired: 11/27/12
How to Celebrate National Heart Month
It's February and time once again to celebrate National Heart Month.
Not only is it the season of love but also a time to learn about the dangers
of heart disease. Here are some educational tips to help you celebrate
National Heart Month.
 Being heart smart means knowing your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Your blood pressure, waist size and body mass index are also major factors in determining your heart health. If you haven't had a check up with
your personal physician in a while, now would be a good time to schedule
an appointment.
 Smoking is definitely a factor when determining the health of your heart.
Studies have shown that smoking can not only cause respiratory problems
and lung cancer, it's also a major cause of heart disease. If you smoke,
whether it's habitually or socially, you may want to use National Heart
Month as a reason to quit.

Exercise, along with healthy eating are probably the two most important
things you can do for your heart. Even if you start with a brisk walk every
morning or evening and make efforts to reduce sugar and fat from your
diet, you'll be well on your way to a healthier you.
Perfect…..Not Me, Not You!
by: Diane Williams, EMT, Billing Specialist
My older daughter has a tendency to talk back to me and get
defensive when I tell her or even show her a way to do
things that she thinks goes against her. She says, “Things
don’t always have to be perfect Mom.” Then, in the distance
I hear the sound of her bedroom door slamming. Unfortunately, this has become a ritual in my house but, when it
comes to documenting trip sheets, it should be PERFECT
every day, every time! With that said, I have a few friendly
reminders regarding trip sheet documentation for our
personnel.
The demographic sheet that facility staff supplies when you
pick up a patient (whether it be a nursing home, rehab or
assisted living) is not proof that you dropped them off at the
emergency room. The insurance companies actually require
a face sheet from that ER for proof when the patient or anyone else isn’t able to sign your trip sheet. A great deal of
time is spent acquiring the much needed signature so we
can bill correctly, but if we make it part of our new year’s
resolution to be more diligent in getting this during transport
we will be able to speed up the billing process.
We have noticed that there have been a lot of corrections in
EMD codes. Please use the code that the Cetronia Communication Center dispatches the call as on your trip sheet. In
most cases, this initial code is the code that the Comm Center was given from whatever source when they were first
contacted. This is particularly important as it complies with
Medicare law which states that the condition of the patient at
the time of dispatch must be documented even if the condition is different upon the crews arrival.
We’re also seeing trip sheets that have the same number for
total mileage used as well for the “loaded” mileage. This is
4
incorrect documentation and it causes a lag in processing
time as it needs to be corrected before it can be billed. As a
general FYI, insurance companies will do their own research
on the trip before they pay the claim to make sure everything
was properly documented and that the treatment was medically necessary.
When applying oxygen on a patient if their O2 SATS are 98
or higher, please provide a reason why oxygen was applied
in the narrative.
I love reading the narratives that put me right at the scene;
they are descriptive just like a good novel. They should be
to the point and include only pertinent information such as
the reason why a crew was called, what happened and
where you transported.
For my last reminder, I will touch on blue sheets. Many of
our street crews started in Paratransit, and I know it can feel
like a lifetime ago, but please remember that all blue sheets
NEED a signature. When transporting a patient, the patient
isn’t just placed inside the facility and then the crew leaves.
There is communication between our staff and facility staff,
paperwork that needs to be given to someone at the facility
and a report on the patient. Use this opportunity to get the
signatures for your blue sheets!
All in all; a signature, a face sheet and a good narrative
is needed on every single call, every single time. It’s the
documentation that insurance companies need in order to
pay us for our services. I truly think we’re the best ambulance service in the Lehigh Valley and I want it kept that way.
If we all do the same thing, what we get paid to do, on every
call, we’re doing our jobs to the best of our ability…. And that
is PERFECT!!!!!!
New Year...New Partnerships...New Opportunities!
by: Deborah Allen, Director of Development
2013 promises to be an exciting year
for Cetronia Ambulance Corps. In
January, we will officially be moving
forward on what is certain to be the
next phase in Cetronia’s proud history.
We will continue to work on securing
funding for the project with the assistance of the Board of Directors and
Leadership. The groundbreaking for
the new project is scheduled to take
place the end of February, with word from the Governor’s
office that the event is on his schedule.
New partnerships for 2013 include continuing our relationship with the Young Lawyers Division of the Lehigh County
Bar Association to again hold “The Great Ambulance
Chase 5K Race”. By adding a new element to the race this
year, we will be changing the date and location of the event
to coincide with the Lehigh Valley Auto Show coordinated by
the Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers, which will be held
on Sunday, March 24, 2013 at Lehigh University’s Stabler
Arena.
Plans are also underway for a special evening to support
Cetronia’s ongoing operational and educational funds with
the next edition of “Health on Wheels.” The event is scheduled to be held at a very unique venue and as a special
treat; the Bulgari Car Collection is being made available for
this wonderful evening to celebrate the kick off of Emergency
Medical Services (EMS) Week on Saturday, May 18, 2013.
This is one event you will not want to miss!
After these three exciting events, we will certainly be well on
our way to spring and the official start of the construction
season for the building project. More information will certainly follow as the details are finalized, but I’m sure we can
all agree there is much being planned for what will prove to
be an exciting New Year!
Pledges are always accepted, and now is the time to
purchase a brick for the new building, if interested
simply fill out the forms available at William Avenue
from Teresa, or at Broadway from Betty, or feel free to
contact us at 610-398-0239 and ask Teresa to send you
a form.
5
St. Luke’s Allentown Campus Grows to Meet Community Needs
New Parking Deck at St. Luke’s Allentown Campus Offers Plenty of Room
A new parking deck at St. Luke’s Allentown Campus will offer patients, visitors and employees easy access to the hospital’s services. Built on top of a former parking lot, located behind the hospital and in between St. Cloud and Walnut Streets, the deck will give
the campus 210 new spaces for a total of 360 parking spaces.
Scheduled for completion in March 2013, the construction project
also features a redesigned entrance and main lobby.
“We want people to walk in and immediately be able to locate the services they need,” says Frank
Ford, president of St. Luke’s Allentown Campus. “Our goal is to continue to make our patients’ experience as easy and convenient as possible.”
Completion of the parking deck will free-up the hospital’s East Entrance, which has served as the
primary drop-off/pick-up location since construction began in May. Non-emergent patient transport
vehicles should continue to utilize the East Entrance for loading and unloading. Emergency ambulance traffic should utilize the Emergency Department Entrance located on Hamilton Street.
St. Luke’s West End Medical Center Brings Convenient Care Close to Home
Formerly the Lehigh Valley Expo Center and a Builder’s Square location prior to that, St. Luke’s West
End Medical Center is scheduled to open in May of 2013. Located on Cetronia Road across from the
Integrated Health Campus, St. Luke’s West End will feature a range of services for the whole family,
including – Adult Urgent Care Center, Pediatric Urgent Care Center, Diagnostic Imaging,
Lab Services, OB/GYN Care
With 108,000 square feet of total usable space,
the first phase of construction will leave plenty
of space for additional growth and expansion
of services.
“St. Luke’s West End will give us the ability to
expand our outpatient services for the residents of Lehigh County,” states Frank Ford,
president of St. Luke’s Allentown Campus.
“We know that having convenient, easilyaccessible, exceptional health care services is
vital to the families in our community and we look forward to providing them with the quality care and
compassion for which St. Luke’s is known.”
6
Below is a advisory from the American Ambulance Association. The passage of this bill has been a monumental effort at the national level and has been a work in progress for many years. The efforts have been increasingly important after many of us fought hard at the national level to get inclusion for EMS providers who are
killed or die in the line of duty after the fight to get coverage for EMS providers who were killed on 9-11 in New
York. Prior to this act, only families of fire and police were covered which we viewed as a serious flaw in the
system. While this only covers non-profit EMS services which is good for most of us here in PA, our hope and
continued effort to include all EMS providers in the nation will go on likely for years. I am pleased to share that
all of our local Federal Legislators supported this bill after many meetings in DC and at home. While I pray that
we are never faced with using this benefit, it is some comfort to know that our providers families will be included should a tragic event ever occur. Please be sure to thank your federal legislators for working to pass
this important legislation on behalf of all of us who protect our community every day. Larry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 4, 2013
AAA MEMBER ADVISORY
TO: AAA Membership
FROM: Jimmy Johnson, AAA President
RE: President Signs Dale Long/Danny McIntosh Act Language into Law
I am extremely happy to report that the AAA has achieved another legislative victory. This one is very
personal for the AAA and our members. Wednesday night, the President signed into law language
which will extend coverage under the Public Safety Officers Benefit (PSOB) program to paramedics
and EMTs who die in the line of duty and are employed by, or volunteer for, a private non-profit EMS
organization. Extending coverage under the PSOB program to paramedics and EMTs employed by all
EMS agencies is the second highest legislative priority of the AAA. We will continue to push for extending coverage to paramedics and EMTs employed by for-profit EMS organizations.
The President signed the EMS coverage language into law as part of National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (S. 3254). In November, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) offered the EMS coverage language as an amendment to S. 3254. The Senate passed the amendment (S. Amdt. 2955) by
a vote of 85 to 11 and several days later passed S. 3254. The House had already passed its version
of the Defense Authorization Bill as well as the EMS coverage language in a separate bill. Conferee to
S. 3254 agreed to include the Leahy amendment language in the final conference report which was
overwhelming approved by both chambers.
The EMS coverage provision in the Senate is named after Dale Long who was a paramedic with Bennington Rescue Squad in Vermont who died in the line of duty. Dale had been honored as an AAA
Star of Life only a couple of months before he died. The EMS provision in the House bill is named after Danny McIntosh who was a paramedic with Bensalem Rescue Squad in Pennsylvania and died in
the line of duty. As a result of this provision, paramedics and EMTs employed by a private non-profit
EMS organization now will be eligible for a $315,000 federal death benefit.
The AAA would like to thank our champions in Congress starting with Senator Leahy who has relentlessly pushed this issue for several years. Congressmen Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Lamar Smith (RTX) were the champions of this issue in the House and were also devoted to getting it done.
7
Benner’s Grille
Jasmine Schuster
Grilled by: Krista Ben
ner, EMT-P,
Operations Supervisor
So, Jasmine, when did you start here @ Cetronia?
Well, I completed the EMR program in February 0f 2012 at
Cetronia and then I started running in June.
Do you like it so far?
Yes, I do.
What has been one of your most memorable calls so
far...without going into too much detail?
The guy falling headfirst into a pond at a Chinese restaurant
and then getting attacked by a turtle in the pond.
Okay, that’s a different scenario. What got you into this?
I’ve been around fire and EMS my whole life. I want to go into
nursing, so figured I’d give this a try and I like it.
What grade are you in right now?
I’m a senior in high school.
And, where do you go to school?
Whitehall High School.
What’s your favorite thing about school?
[Thinking real hard] I can’t really think of anything specific
except being with my friends and furthering my education.
Do you have any hobbies?
I have a bunch of hobbies. I play music. I bowl for fun. And,
I guess you can call firefighting a hobby, and I call this, EMS,
a hobby.
Since you think firefighting is a hobby, were you a
pyromaniac in a former life?
No, I was not.
Are you sure?
Yes, I am very sure.
How can you tell?
I don’t like to set them, I like to put them out.
But how do you know you didn’t set them in a former life?
That’s a very tough question you’re asking there, Krista. I just
don’t believe I set fires in a former life.
In future lives, would you want to come back as the same
person, or, try something different?
I like where I am now, so, I’d like to come back as the same
person.
With the same family?
Yeah, we have a good time.
What does your family consist of?
A mom...how in detail do you want this? Mom, dad, a younger
sister, a dog, three grandparents and a whole bunch of
cousins.
8
Are you close with your little sister?
Yes, I would say so.
My brother and I used to fight like
every day. Do you guys fight?
Oh yes, we get into it quite often.
In your opinion, who would you say
has the most “wins”? And this is
only your opinion.
I do, but, she is getting very close to
catching me.
Does she like to do the same stuff
you do, or, is she completely different?
There are some things the same like
music, but, when it comes to firefighting
and EMS, she is completely different.
So, we just had Christmas. Was
Santa good to you?
Yes, Santa was good to me.
Did you get a lot?
I wouldn’t say a lot, but, one of the
things I got was expensive, so...but, I don’t ask for a lot.
And what was this expensive thing?
A Samsung Galaxy Tab II.
Do you, or did you ever, count the number of gifts you
and your sister got to see if one of you got more than
the other?
No.
So, if your sister got 12 gifts and you got 10, it wouldn’t bother you?
Nope. We get what we get.
How did you spend your Christmas?
Spent it mostly with family. Well, all with family.
Do you guys go all out with decorations?
Yes, lights galore!
Inside and out?
We have 2 trees in our bay windows so that is all for the
inside, but, my mom likes to decorate the whole outside.
And, where do you live?
In Coplay.
Have you lived there all of your young life?
I’ve lived in Coplay my whole life, but, we just recently
moved to a new house.
Do you have your driver’s license yet?
Yes.
Do you consider yourself a good driver?
Yes
If I ask your mom, would she agree?
Yes, she’ll also say I’m a cautious driver.
This is what I call the lightning round. Just simple
questions, no thinking is involved, well, not much,
anyway, but, here goes. Vanilla or chocolate?
Vanilla.
Favorite color?
Green.
Pie or cake?
Pie.
Ice cream or pudding?
Ice cream.
Favorite flavor?
Coffee, or I can change it to black raspberry. They’re tied.
Tea or coffee?
Coffee.
Dunkin Donut’s or Starbucks?
Dunkin Donuts.
Favorite store to shop at?
Fashion Bug, but, now that they’re going out of business, I
don’t know yet…
Try Catherine’s. I like that one.
That’s what my grandma said.
Favorite restaurant?
I would have to say the Chinese Restaurant on MacArthur
Road.
Favorite TV show?
Mythbusters.
Favorite style of music to listen to?
Country.
Favorite artist?
Luke Bryan. I really don’t have a favorite artist per say, but, I
listen to more Luke Bryan than anything.
Favorite type of food?
Chinese.
Favorite movie type?
Thriller or action.
Favorite actor?
I don’t have one.
Not the one where the guy got attacked by the turtle is
it?
No.
Do you like to play pranks?
Harmless little pranks, yes…
Do you ever prank your parent?
I’ve done it a couple of times.
Can you tell one?
I told my dad to press the red button on the portable dishwasher because it didn’t work and that I didn’t know what
was wrong with it. When he did, the water shot out like a fire
hose and he got soaked and the floor flooded, the cabinets
got soaked...
What is one thing you would not be able to give up for 1
week?
Cell phone, my schedule’s on that thing.
What is one thing you wish you could have 2 or 3 more
of?
Hands.
Are you a long sleeper, or, can you get away with just a
couple of hours?
[Mom says, who is standing here] Couple of hours? Not at
all! A long sleeper, definitely!
And what do you say?
Mixed.
Favorite time of the year?
Spring.
What is the one thing you are looking forward to about
graduating?
I get to actually focus on what I want to do as a career.
Are you planning on a local college?
Yes, I’ve applied to LCCC for their basic nursing and then I
want to transfer to DeSales.
Is there a specific field of nursing you want to go to?
I eventually want to be a trauma nurse.
Do you want to stay in the area, or spread your wings
elsewhere?
Stay in the area.
Is there a favorite vacation spot you’ve gone to?
The beach, but, we haven’t been there in a while.
I know your young, so this probably isn’t a pressing
thought with you, but, is there one place you would like
to go to?
You mean vacation wise?
Yes.
Hawaii.
If you were at a party in your honor, and they had a
piñata filled with your favorite snacks, what would the
snacks be?
Pretzels.
No candy?
No, I don’t really eat candy.
If you could pick a specific reason for someone to throw
you a party just because, what would that reason be?
My achievements!
And what would they be?
Going above expectations on things I put my mind to.
Do you do that often?
Yes.
I know you play instruments for the school band, but
what are some of the ones you play?
Do you want all 15 of them?
Not necessarily. Just some of the basics
Trumpet, baritone, snare drum, valve trombone, keyboard,
a.k.a. mallets, base drum...those are the biggest ones.
What’s your favorite?
Baritone, by far.
Are you self taught musician?
Mainly, yes, but a lot of help from my grandfather and school.
Did you ever dream of being a professional musician or
a rock star?
No. I just do music for fun.
If you had the chance to go on one of those shows like
American Idol or the X Factor, would you?
No, I tend to get stage fright a little bit.
So, if a friend started a band for local venues and asked
you to join, you would not?
I’ve played with my relative’s polka bands before, so I’ve
played in small groups before and it doesn’t bother me that
much.
Okay, let me see how we can wrap this up. I always ask
this at the end, but, what is one piece of advice, given to
you by anyone, that you always remember?
Never be afraid to try something new, because you might find
that you’re good at it and like it.
Do you have any wise, young advice for us elders out
there that we might be able to learn something from
you?
Give us youngsters a chance. Not all of us are the same.
Some of us are very useful and helpful!
Okay. I will set you free from the “grille” and let you get
back to your truck. Thank you for being the “grille” for
the next newsletter.
No problem. Thank you.
9
ALLENTOWN & CETRONIA DONATE AMBULANCES TO HAITI
The City of Allentown and Cetronia Ambulance Corps will donate two retired ambulances to the City of Carrefour, Haiti to help with emergency medical treatment in that area that was ravaged by a 2010 earthquake. The
ambulances will be transported to New York City for delivery. After they clear customs, they will be shipped to
Haiti this spring. Lifechurch is working to facilitate the delivery of the equipment and will be paying the shipping
costs.
Cetronia is donating a 1997 Ford
E-350 ambulance to the City of
Carrefour. It is equipped with a
stretcher and spare first aid supplies. The vehicle was taken out of
service in November 2012 and was
part of Cetronia's ready reserve
fleet. The Corps will be purchasing
a new Ford E-450 in 2013 to replace this unit. The city donated
vehicle is a 2002 Ford E-450. It is
equipped with a hydraulic lift for
the main oxygen cylinder and a
power inverter. The city vehicle was taken out of service in October 2012 when it was replaced by a 2012
Chevrolet 4500 ambulance. It will be manned by the Hospital Batiste Convention d’Haiti serving Cap Haitien,
the second largest city in Haiti. The hospital is supported locally by The Haiti Health Trust, a non-profit organization in Bethlehem, Pa. Lehigh Valley Health Network is donating a stretcher and Sacred Heart Hospital is
contributing a stretcher and two oxygen tanks.
“Cetronia Ambulance Corps is proud to be able to support the medical relief work in Haiti and the efforts of the
local churches and City of Allentown as part of our non-profit mission and commitment to community,” Wiersch
said. “These are some of the neediest people in the world and if our donation saves one more life, it is worth
every ounce of equipment we can send.”
Retired City of Allentown firefighter Jonathan Pratt, active Allentown firefighter James Alpha and Bethlehem firefighter David Flores, all members of Lifechurch, are heading to Haiti next month to train local personnel in the
use of recently donated firefighting equipment. A donor from Lifechurch purchased a retired field fire truck with
foam generating equipment from Emmaus and a second fire vehicle from the Midwest and donated it to Haiti.
The equipment was recently released from customs in Haiti.
The Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority is donating reflective bunker pants and coats and boots. Earlier, the
City of Allentown had donated bunker gear, gloves and water cans.
“We are fortunate to have great community partners like Cetronia, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Sacred Heart
Hospital, the Airport Authority, G4S Integrated Fleet Services and Fast Signs that are willing to step-up to help
some of the neediest people in the world,” said Mayor Ed Pawlowski. “These donations will be greatly appreciated.”
“It is an excellent notion to donate equipment that we no longer have use for, but that others who are less fortunate than we are can benefit tremendously from and hopefully safe lives," said Allentown City Council President
Julio Guridy. "In addition to the recent devastations by mother nature, for a long time Haiti has been the poorest
country in the Western Hemisphere and it is the right thing to do for us as the most powerful country in the world
to support them as much as we can. I am delighted to see this kind of collective humane effort.”
10
Congratulations to Michael Grover!
He is the winner of a $20.00 gift certificate to Target for getting all the
answers correct in the December trivia contest.
Here are the Correct Answers from December;
1. What is the minimal PPE you should be wearing to suction an airway?
Mask, Gloves & Eye Protection
With the cold weather approaching, it is important to know that we have an SOG describing how we handle equipment in
vehicles that are stored outdoors. Which SOG provides you with the best description? 201.12
How many different laws pertain to child abuse or neglect in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania? 6
What are some basic supplies that are contained in our BLS bags on our BLS units? 4X4, Epi pens, oral glucose, etc.
When a Level 2 MCI is called in our primary coverage area, how many ambulances are pre-planned to be dispatched? 15
December Trivia Game
2.
3.
4.
5.
If you answer ALL questions correctly, your name will be put into a hat for a random drawing and the winner
will receive a gift certificate to a local store. To be eligible, all you have to do is cut out the questions,
or copy and paste from the on-line version into a word document, print it, make your selections and
give the answers to Betty by February 8. One entry per Cetronia Associate.
Associates Name: ___________________________________________________
CAC ID#: ______________
1. According to the state’s ALS and BLS protocols, if a patient is suffering from severe hypothermia, with temps<86F,
and requires vertical extrication, the patient is to be transported in a level position for which reason?
A.
B.
C.
D.
It is easier to extricate in a horizontal versus vertical position
Seizures and deaths have been associated with patients being transported in a heads up position
Warm blood will pool in the lower extremities causing excessive swelling of the ankles
It is easier to monitor a patient if they are in a level position
2. In the Communications Center Policy and Procedure Manual, you will find the following description in what chapter?
For priority 4,5,6,7,8, and 9 responses, if the crew determines that the facility and the patient are not ready for
immediate transfer the crew will notify the Controller as to why the patient is not able to be transferred immediately.
The Controller, after consultation with the Communications Center Shift Supervisor, will advise the crew how to
proceed and/or whether the patient should be rescheduled for a new time.
A. Chapter 2
B. Chapter 8
C. Chapter 9
D. Chapter 13
3. What is the minimal safe ice thickness for a small group of people?
A. 2”
B. 4”
C. 5”
D. 7”
4. Winter traction devices or z-chains can be:
A. Used in speeds over 40 mph
C. Are only to be applied by fleet
B. Used in conjunction with the on-spot chains
D. None of the above
5. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, workplace eye injuries cost employers approx. how much in 2008?
A. $525 million
B. $750 million
C. $934 million
D. $1 billion
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Nice work by Mark Schwartz ensuring our core
values of customer service is superb!
Thanks Mark!! Larry
Thank you to Stephen Hall and Tyler Gehris for
a job well done! You impressed this patient of
ours tremendously. Well done!! Larry
Four employees were recognized at our General
Membership Meeting on December 11th for providing
exemplary care, response and compassion in alignment with Cetronia's core values and mission.
Congratulations to Matt Sadrovitz, Dan Riga, Pete
Lenig and Phil Kolodziejek for receiving the first
"Medical Director Exceptional Patient Care Award"!!
In October, these two Cetronia crews responded to a
priority 1 life-threatening call where they found a 35 year
old woman in cardiac arrest and in a shockable rhythm.
Fire personnel; from Macungie Fire Department were on
scene prior to EMS arrival performing CPR and shocked
the patient twice using an AED. Immediately on scene,
Cetronia personnel took over care and were able to convert the patient into a perfusing rhythm and delivered her
to the hospital with regained pulse and respirations.
Because of the pre-hospital care administered in the field, the patient made a full recovery, was discharged with an internal
cardiac device (ICD) and returned home to her husband and five children.
The award was designed to recognize providers who go “above the call of duty” to save a life, added Wiersch. Some of the
criteria include demonstrating exemplary skills in a critical, high risk patient; the application of a low frequency procedure; excellence in clinical judgment with a patient that either had an unique presentation of a common disorder or an uncommon disorder that was appropriately recognized and treated accordingly; or demonstrating outstanding teamwork as a group of providers or seamless integration of multiple layers of pre-hospital care. All Paramedics, EMT’s, First Responders and Para-transit
associates are eligible. Associates are recognized through a nomination process by peers or a supervisor, which then is reviewed by Senior Management and the Medical Director as to what transpired on the call and the related outcome.
12
2012: A Year In Review
by: Caitlin Stibitz, Director of Marketing & Public Relations
On Tuesday, December 11th, Board Chair Russ Clelland and CEO Larry Wiersch hosted the 2012
General Membership Meeting at the Holiday Inn. During this meeting, Russ, Larry and members of
Senior Management gave a recap on the accomplishments of the board committees and departments.
Some of the highlights include:
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The most recent patient surveys found that 93.06% of patients were satisfied with our services!
Cetronia ranked 6th overall out of the 42 companies in the national database!
2012 was a busy year for Cetronia’s Special Operations and Rehab Teams. In addition to the two
Strike Team deployments to New Jersey this fall, associates took advantage of advanced training in
the rehab specialty and participated in the largest mock disaster drill ever held in the northeast.
The QA program was expanded to include 100% review of narcotic usage, cardiac arrests, children
under 12, chest pain and refusals.
Our total calls dispatched are up on the year, specifically BLS, wheelchair and medi-car continue to increase while ALS
and ambulette are down slightly.
We have maintained a staff of 90 full-time associates, 32 part-time and 20 active volunteers. Through the end of November, Cetronia volunteers have graciously logged 3602 hours of service.
Safety continues to be an area of focus for the management team, who conducted multiple risk assessments of our practices, policies and procedures. We received a safe-work place certification from the PA Department of Labor & Industry for
the 12th consecutive year!
The re-design and launch of a new website with expanded capabilities was completed, giving us the ability to accept online
donations. Phase 2 is planned for 2013.
Cetronia become the first EMS agency in the region to attain the Eastern PA EMS Council’s Gold Standard Recognition!
Through November, Cetronia has participated in 219 special events, stand-by’s and educational programs in the communities we serve. Of that, services were donated for 120 events, totaling $49,549 of community benefit.
Coordinated a series of Town Hall meetings to engage community on our capital building project. Combined with $260,000
in funds committed and an additional $1,075,000 in grant requests pending, the Capital Campaign is gaining substantial
support.
Focusing on our youth, Cetronia forged a new partnership with the Young Lawyer’s Division of the Bar Association of
Lehigh County to hold “The Great Ambulance Chase 5K Race and Family-Fun Walk” which generated the funds to purchase a new “Andy the Ambulance”. Additionally, we secured State Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program
approval for the youth Emergency Medical Responder program.
Four more mobile computers were installed in vehicles, bringing the total to 12. The Knox Drug Box was also successfully
integrated with the In Motion Gateway. Other capital purchases included one type II ambulance, replacement of two
engines, updated radios, added two stair pros, one stretcher, a replacement Medi-Car and updating of radio systems to
comply with FCC narrow-banding requirements.
Throughout the year, there were numerous employee functions. Some events of note included Emergency Preparedness
Day, Cetronia Community Day, Iron Pigs outings and most recently the children’s Christmas party.
We are proud to be Cetronia! Larry recognized the many associates who achieved special awards this year including
Eddie Boyle and Luke Bulmer for earning their Stork Pins for the pre-hospital delivery of a baby girl; Caitlin Stibitz for being
named as “Person of the Year” by the Whitehall Area Chamber of Commerce; Greg Marchetti and Chris Fegley for coming
in 3rd place in the BLS Challenge at the Pocono EMS Conference; Eddie Boyle, Kris Vierling; Greg Marchetti and Jason
Eckert for being selected to demonstrate High Performance CPR as part of the Resuscitation Academy at the Pocono EMS
Pre- Conference; and our most recent awardees Matt Sadrovitz, Phil Kolodziejek, Dan Riga and Pete Lenig for receiving
the first annual Medical Director Exceptional Patient Care Award for their exemplary care, response and compassion in
alignment with Cetronia’s core values.
Cetronia’s Board of Trustees announced the appointment of our newest Board member, Mr. Jeffery Frank of Via Media to
replace the expiring term of Mr. Gregory Kile of LVHN.
13
Winter Outdoor Safety
by: Michael LaPearl, EMT-P, Operations Supervisor
This topic could actually take up several pages, but I will only address a
few of the major issues related to
those of us who work or play in the
outdoors. These include frozen bodies of water (ice safety), overhangs
and hypothermia.
First topic of ice safety brings me back to my teenage years
and the many hours I would spend sitting on the lake fishing
through a hole in the ice hoping to catch some fish. According to the PA Fish and Boat Commission, the following are
the safe ice thicknesses for outdoor recreation on a frozen
still water surface (this means a lake or pond not at the entry
or exit point of a stream or underground
spring):

3” Unsafe

4” safe for one person and gear or
about 200lbs.

5” 800lbs or a snowmobile

7” 1500lbs or a small group of people

8” 2000lbs or a small car
Some additional caution must be used in areas where there
are influxes of water from small streams or even runoff, as
this often weakens the ice from the underside and may not
be visible on the surface. As an ice fisherman will tell you;
always use a stick as a guide, particularly if there is fresh
snow so you don’t step in a hole that was left from another
fisherman. As a precaution, only fish or adventure onto the
ice when someone else is available to call for help if needed.
Overhangs, specifically areas where water drips and will accumulate into icicles, can cause severe injury and even
death. If you need to work in an area where there are icicles, use caution to ensure you have protection from falling
ice. This may include a spotter and protective headwear at a
minimum. As an old OSHA friend of mine will tell you they
can indeed kill, as he has actually investigated a worksite
fatality caused by a falling icicle from a high overhang.
14
Hypothermia is another
topic that we often discuss
this time of year. I’m sure
you have heard enough of
the basics, so I will address water and hypothermia. The overwhelming
majority of water related
fatalities have to do with
hypothermia and for that
reason it is important for us to ensure we are well versed on
the effects of cold water immersion. I would recommend
visiting www.fish.state.pa.us for a variety of information on
this topic, including some very interesting video links. One
of those videos from the Cold Water Boot Camp addresses
cold water immersion and the importance of personal flotation devices (PFD). As they discuss during this video and
demonstrate, those who enter the water without PFD’s have
much less tolerance and are more likely to succumb quicker
to the cold water. I also can’t stress enough the importance
of PFD’s that if you fall overboard in cold water (which could
be 60F) your last gulp you
take could be cold water
which could cause you to
sink to the bottom without a
chance of resurfacing. If you
are wearing a PFD at least
you have a chance of someone recovering you or self
rescue. Don’t forget that
most water temperatures
remain below 65F until late
summer.
Please be careful and enjoy your winter. And be sure to enjoy your activities with a friend to ensure your safety.
YOU’RE INVITED TO CELEBRATE THE FUTURE
OF CETRONIA AMBULANCE CORPS!
We are ready to move dirt on the future site of Cetronia
Ambulance Corps and the County of Lehigh's "Joint Operations
Building" which will establish a new Regional EMS & Medico-Legal
Forensics Center to better serve the residents of Lehigh County
and its surrounding areas.
Please join us to celebrate in our future on:
Date: Tuesday, February 19, 2013
and
Wednesday, February, 20, 2013
Time: 4:30 - 6:30 PM
Location: Cetronia's Operations Center
Refreshments and a champagne toast will be provided.
All associates and volunteers are encouraged to join us on one of
these days, please RSVP to Caitlin Stibitz at 610-530-5511 or
[email protected] by 2/12/13.
15
February is American Heart Month
Heart Disease is the Number One Cause of Death!
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major
cause of disability. The most common heart disease in the United States is
coronary heart disease, which often appears as a heart attack. In 2010, an
estimated 785,000 Americans had a new coronary attack, and about 470,000
had a recurrent attack. About every 25 seconds, an American will have a coronary event, and
about one every minute will die from one.
Other conditions that affect your heart or increase your risk of death or disability include arrhythmia, heart failure, and peripheral artery disease (PAD). High cholesterol, high blood pressure,
obesity, diabetes, tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and secondhand smoke are
also risk factors associated with heart disease. For a full list of diseases and conditions along
with risk factors and other health information associated with heart disease, visit the American
Heart Association.
JANUARY BIRTHDAYS
1 — Joseph Kunkle
1 — Elise Himelson
4 — Kris Vierling
13 — Sheila VanHorn
13 — Reza Armaghan
15 — Bennet Heyman
18 — Robert Walbert
19 — Benjamin Miller
20 — Karen Mace
24 — Hygenica Boozel
27 — Roger Benner
28 — Elizabeth Naylor
29 — Stephanie Albitz
30 — Robert Bernabucci
30 — Cheryl Kilpatrick
FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS
6 — Beth Young
13 — Ken D’Encarnacao
17 — Susan Deprill
8 — Peter Dorn
14 — Margaret Duke
18 — Mark Poling
8 — Jenna Littman
16 — Carole Wessner
19 — Michael Nagel
11 — Leslie Henning
16
25 — David Bond