MANCHESTER — On September 16, 2017 Ambulance Service of Manchester employees returned to play in an annual charity softball tournament against teams from Manchester Police Department and Manchester Fire Rescue EMS. Proceeds from the event benefit the Manchester Police Benevolent Association. Photos from members of all three agencies can be viewed below!
SOUTH WINDSOR — On September 7th-10th, 2017 crews from the Ambulance Service of Manchester were on hand at the Wapping Fair in South Windsor. The event is organized by the South Windsor Jaycees Foundation and is billed as an exciting combination of fun, unique entertainment and lots of family friendly hands on attractions, two of which were sponsored by ASM.
ASM performed a medical standby alongside South Windsor Fire Department partners. The standby served a dual purpose as the children were able to take tours of the ambulance and fire apparatus.
MANCHESTER- On September 11th, 2017 Bowers Elementary School hosted a 9/11 tribute honoring victims and family members, as well as, police, fire and EMS personnel affected by the 2001 attack. Employees from the Ambulance Service of Manchester were invited to attend the ceremony along with other members of the first responder community in Manchester.
BOLTON — On September 2nd, 2017 Paramedic Jared Krajewski and EMT Bekka Fross, from the Ambulance Service of Manchester were on hand at Fish Family Farm for the Lutz Children’s Museum’s Farm Day 2017. The event provided local residents with live music, hay rides, animals, games, and most importantly, farm fresh ice cream.
ASM performed a standby alongside Bolton Fire Department. The standby served a dual purpose as the children were able to take tours of both the ambulance and fire apparatus.
MANCHESTER- On August 29th, 2017, the Ambulance Service of Manchester hosted it’s 2nd annual Ice Cream Social and open house. The event offered family members, friends, and guests the opportunity to take an inside look at some of ASM’s daily operations. Tours included a walk through of the expanded billing and business office, Wayne Wright Training Room (now an approved American Heart Association Training Site), and state of the art communications center. Additionally, unique company features were on display including a bariatric ambulance, Stryker PowerPro hydraulic stretchers, a depiction of the in-house decal and design capabilities, and ASM’s Capital Region Emergency Services Team (CREST) vehicle.
ASM would like to extend a special thank you to all of those that attended, Tara from DazzleDay Face Painters and last, but certainly not least, the ever-popular Ice Cream Emergency for returning again this year.
WETHERSFIELD – In late August, Aetna Ambulance Service received a hand written letter addressed to Paramedic Matt Carter and EMT Eric Marandino. The note, as depicted below, is in regards to a transport completed a few weeks prior.
I am most pleased with the service that was provided. Thank God that this EMT/Paramedic was sent to my home that morning. The EMT/Paramedic [was able to] diagnose what I had before we left my home. I will forever be so thankful for the EMT/Paramedic who solved the mystery of what was affecting me. Please pass on this thankfulness to the one who took very good care of my health needs that day.
HARTFORD- On Sunday August 20th, 2017, employees from the Ambulance Service of Manchester and Aetna Ambulance gathered at Hartford Yards Goat’s Dunkin’ Donuts Park to watch the home team take on the Reading Fightin Phils.
Despite the Yards Goats 6-0 loss, the event provided an opportunity for EMTs and Paramedics, families and friends, to connect in a fun and relaxed environment.
Aetna Ambulance is proud to have EMT, Ryan Sullivan back to full time duty after his recent return from a volunteer Peace Corps mission in West Africa. He describes his amazing journey in the summary below!
It’s hard to describe my experience in the Peace Corps. Everything was just so different from what I was used to. I left home and four days later, I was in Guinea, a country where no electricity, no running water, and huge snakes were the norm. Guinea is close to the equator in West Africa. It has 6 months of dry season and 6 months of rainy season. No matter what season it was, the weather was always super-hot. And of course there was no air conditioning. Communication was always a problem. Guinea’s official language is French, but there are over 70 local languages used. All Guineans knew at least some French, but everyone spoke in their local languages most of the time. In my town, people spoke Pular.
Peace Corps provided language and cultural training for the first two months, and after that they placed all of the volunteers in their assigned town. Once I was in my assigned town, my closest neighbors became my family. They took care of me like I was their child. It was a super heartwarming experience to be with them. In return for the generosity, I would give them $25 each month. That is about 250,000 Guinean Francs, so they were very happy with me. I was the only American in my town, the closest volunteer was a 3 hour taxi ride away. Everyone was very eager to start working with me. I felt like a celebrity because everyone wanted to be friends with the American. I was a Public Health Volunteer, so I tried to teach people simple ways to improve their health. How to use a mosquito net, how to properly wash hands, STI prevention, things like that.
Everything had to be communicated in Pular, which made even the simplest concepts hard to explain. I never really grasped Pular, but my host family was always so happy when I could say a simple sentence. Everyone was always super kind to me and I learned many things while in Guinea. The only unpleasant part of my experience was the food. It was usually rice with some sort of dried fish sauce. I ate that 3 times a day, every day. When I got back to America the first thing I did was eat a bacon cheeseburger with a chocolate milkshake. Best meal of my life.
Now that my experience is over, there are definitely things about Guinea I will miss. But my host family calls to check up on me every day, so at least I can still be a part of their lives. And keep my Pular skills strong.
MANCHESTER- On August 10th, 2017 The Ambulance Service of Manchester was invited to attend Manchester KinderCare’s “Touch a Truck” event. Organized by the Center Director, the day encouraged kids to interact with EMS personnel in order to gain a sense of familiarity with first responders. ASM staff members provided ambulance tours, posed for pictures and handed out coloring books to those in attendance.
Please view below!
Aetna Ambulance Service is happy to release the second issue of The Grady Report, the Aetna employee newsletter. Released quarterly, The Grady Report features numerous articles outlining company news and events, training opportunities, case studies (periodically), health and wellness tips, and more. Additionally, each issue will contain an Employee Spotlight article, recognizing an EMT or Paramedic that has demonstrated a commitment to patients and co-workers alike via positive attitude, work ethic, and overall inspiring demeanor. Please enjoy!
SOUTH WINDSOR – In early August, The Ambulance Service of Manchester received a hand written thank you note addressed to Paramedic Genevieve Geres and EMT Tracy Luetjen. The note, as depicted below, is in regards to a transport completed a few weeks prior.
I am ever so grateful for your patient, reassuring help on a very frightening morning for me. At every turn, you did not demean or minimize my experience. I truly felt I had competent advocates at my side.
MANCHESTER — On July 24th, 2017, two Paramedics and six EMT’s were added to the ASM team. As part of our continued growth, Aetna and ASM seek out only the best candidates. We look for employees who are focused on high-quality patient care, are team oriented and conduct themselves in a professional manner. During the orientation, employees learn about company philosophy and goals, quality assurance, and policies and procedures.
Christopher Myska: FULL TIME, PARAMEDIC. My name is Chris and I am 27. I went to medic school at Capital Community College. I have been interested in patient care since watching MASH as a kid. I am a Flight Medic with the US Air Force Reserves and have been since 2010.
I am newly married and spend most of my free time outside with my wife and my dog Ellie. I have spent the last 4 years working for Connecticut Children’s Medical Center as an ER Tech.
Nicole Niwinski: FULL TIME, EMT. Hello my name is Nicole Niwinski and I am 24 years old. I have my Associates from Manchester Community College and have been working for the last few years an Associate Manager of a window covering company. I took my EMT course with Glastonbury EMS in 2016 and have been very excited about it since then. My goal is to continue in the field of EMS, and become a paramedic. I train martial arts, and enjoy rock-climbing and hiking.
Gabner Alcime: FULL TIME, PARAMEDIC. Hello my name is Gabner L. Alcime. I am originally from Miami, FL but I’ve lived in Port Charlotte, FL for all of my teenage and adult life. I received my EMT Certification in May of 2006, and my Paramedic Certification in 2012, as well as, my Associate in Science. I spent ten years serving as EMT/Paramedic for Lee County EMS, FL. My younger brother is also a Paramedic with the same company and two of my cousins are EMT’s there as well. I served as an AHA instructor for both Lee County EMS and at the same college, received my schooling. I also served as a Lab Instructor at the college for the EMT program. I’m really grateful for all the opportunities the EMS field has provided me over the years. I recently obtained my NREMT-P when I decided to relocate with my family to Windsor, CT where my wife is from. In the future, I plan to get my Bachelor’s Degree, and become a filed training preceptor. Aside from EMS, I am also a Wedding DJ, and enjoy being active in the gym and playing sports. Looking forward to being part of the ASM team.
Kristi Glowacki: FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Kristi Glowacki and I have been an EMT for just over 2 years. In that time, I have helped to instruct EMT students, teach communities looking to learn CPR, and volunteered as an EMT for the City of Bloomfield. Before accepting a position with ASM, I also worked in an Emergency Room as a Tech. Being in an ER teaches you how to work fast and think quickly. However, not every patient or call is an emergency. Some just need to know that you’re listening and care. It’s for the same reason that in my spare time I’m teaching my rescue dog, Alpha, to be a therapy dog. If you ever want to talk to someone who is dog crazy you’ve found the right person!
Patrick Zimny: FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Patrick Zimny. I am 22 years old and from East Hampton, CT. I’m a student at Manchester Community College working towards a degree in Criminal Justice. I received my EMT-B certification at the end of 2016 and later joined the Manchester Fire Department 8th District as a volunteer. In my free time I enjoy the outdoors, running, reading, and spending time with my nephews and niece. I am grateful for the opportunity to work for ASM and to further my career as a first responder. I look forward to joining the team!
Racquel Vaughn: FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Racquel Vaughn and I am 28 years old. I am from East Hartford, CT. I took my EMT class at New Britain EMS Academy in New Britain, CT. I completed the course in the winter of 2016 and began volunteering for the town of Newington, CT for about 1 year. My goal is to go back to school and become a paramedic after gaining some more experience. I am so happy to be joining the ASM team and looking forward to learning and helping the community.
Cody Desilets: FULL TIME, EMT. Hi my name is Cody Desilets. I’m 21 and from Windham, CT. I’ve been a volunteer firefighter in Windham for about 6 years now in which I obtained my EMT and held it for the past 4 years. In my free time, I enjoy the outdoors like fishing, hiking and kayaking.
Erica Clayton: FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Erica Clayton. I am 22 years old and a recent graduate of Western New England University with a B.S. in Health Sciences and minors in Chemistry and Psychology. During my schooling, I shadowed and worked with a Physician’s Assistant in the Rockville and Manchester emergency rooms acquiring approximately 250 hours of experience. That time helped me to fall in love with emergency medicine. This lead me to the decision to obtain my EMT certification while in my senior year of college.
My future goal is to become a Physician’s Assistant working in pediatric emergency medicine. I am very excited and thankful for the opportunity to work at ASM and cannot wait for the journey that is to come.
MANCHESTER — On July 17th, 2017 ASM’s David Pozniak was promoted to the position of Field Supervisor. His remarkable dedication to both his patients and co-workers has been consistent throughout his career at ASM. He has developed into a role model for health care professionals and continues to positively influence everyone he interacts with.
Dave expressed his gratitude for the well-deserved promotion by stating the following:
Having started as a brand new EMT seven years ago, I have been witness to our continued growth and expansion in the communities we serve. ASM has remained on the cutting edge of care in the ever evolving field of EMS. I am honored and humbled to become part of the supervisor team and look forward to working with everyone to continue making ASM a great place to work.
On behalf of the ASM family we would like to congratulate Dave on his promotion and look forward to great things from him.
GLASTONBURY-The Ambulance Service of Manchester is proud to announce the release of a dedicated paramedic intercept vehicle to the Town of Glastonbury. As of today, July 17, 2017, “Alpha 8,” will now be posted within the confines of the town on a 24 hour basis, 365 days a year. ASM has been fortunate enough to serve as the primary service area responder at the ALS level for the Town of Glastonbury for several decades. Glastonbury Emergency Medical Services (GEMS), current PSA holder at the BLS level, has graciously designated a space at their headquarters to house the intercept car. The long-time partnership between GEMS and ASM continually proves beneficial to town residents. The addition of Alpha 8 will further this relationship and help to ensure that the patient care experience remains as seamless and gratifying as possible.
