Category Archives: Aetna Company News

Words That Describe Us: Volume 90

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MANCHESTER and HARTFORD —Aetna Ambulance and ASM send Patient and Customer Satisfaction Surveys to a random sampling of patients who have received emergency or STAT inter-facility services from our companies.

The final part of the survey asks that the respondent, “Please use a word or phrase to describe us and/or the ambulance crew.”

Some of the most recent answers and responses provided in the survey responses include the following quotes:

  • Excellent service from all – Thanks so much. You’re helpful.
  • Caring.
  • Very attentive and kind.
  • Excellent x 2.
  • Professional and caring.
  • Couldn’t have been cared for or treated better.
  • Good. It is the best service in Town. Keep it up.
  • Compassionate.
  • The crew was professional, concerned, engaged and courteous. Under circumstances I felt secure being cared for by M and K. (16-65719; K. Russell, M. Hoyt).
  • You were all very kind and helpful. No one could do any better. (16-61175; A. Linardo, R. Fraley).
  • Excellent care!
  • Caring professionals.
  • Very caring and polite.
  • Professional.
  • I appreciate the compassion and care that was shown. The ambulance crew was fantastic. Thank you to each of them. (16-63448 R. Buechele, H. Digirolamo)
  • Seemed professional and competent.
  • Compassionate
  • Compassionate, professional, calming.
  • The ambulance crew- I believe the driver’s name was William and the one with me was Cory. They were both wonderful to me. (16-64241 W. Schnepp, C. Lemire).
  • Very professional and caring.
  • Very Professional
  • Professional
  • Kind
  • Excellent and caring people. Thank you again.
  • Very good
  • Professional and respectful
  • Prompt, Professional
  • Efficient and Professional
  • The best, guys were wonderful to me! (16-67722 M. Traber, S. Debarge).
  • Professional and caring
  • Friendly, supportive
  • Matt and Kat were excellent in every aspect of performing their jobs. And their relationship with ER staff was exceptional. They were clearly highly regarded. (16-69636 M. Carter, K. Stewart).
  • As an RN I was happy with the care given to me
  • Kenya was excellent.
  • Very Professional. Listened and had a caring manner.
  • Very attentive
  • Dedicated. This was my first ambulance experience and I was very impressed and satisfied. (16-68246;  M. Levasseur, J. Hornish).
  • Friendly and competent.
  • Don’t know the lady’s name who cared for me. She was excellent.  Thank you. (16-68616; M. Carter, T. Webster).

Mercedes Ambulances Arrive for Duty at Aetna and ASM

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MANCHESTER — Recently, Aetna and ASM took delivery of seven Mercedes Sprinter Ambulances from American Emergency Vehicles (AEV). In an effort to keep up with the latest advancements in patient and provider safety, each new ambulance has arrived equipped with Stryker Performance-Load Cot Fastener Systems. In addition to securing the stretcher during transport, these devices offer guided loading and unloading, to increase both efficiency and safety.

 

Meet the Newest Members of the Team: Aetna Hires Four – 2016

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HARTFORD — In December, 2016 two Paramedics, and two Dispatchers were added to the Aetna 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. Bios from our new Dispatchers are currently pending, we eagerly anticipate introducing them as well.

Alex Bowyer: FULL TIME, Paramedic. I am 25 and from Bethlehem CT. I attended Moravian College in Bethlehem PA. I graduated with a BA in Sociology with a concentration in Law and Society, and a minor in music in 2013. I started with the Bethlehem Volunteer Fire Department as a first responder 3 years ago. I have been working as an EMT for Campion Ambulance Waterbury Division for the past 2 years. I attended the Goodwin College Paramedic Program, and completed my field internship at Valley EMS. I plan on pursuing a career as a fire/medic. Outside of work I enjoy camping and riding my motorcycle.

Cora Gingras: FULL TIME, Paramedic. I started in EMS in high school when I joined the fire department. I was a member for 5 years when I transitioned over to the ambulance. I have been working as a Volunteer in my town for the last 4 years. Before coming to Aetna I have worked commercial ems for 3 1/2 years. I recently graduated paramedic school at Goodwin college. My future plans are to go to nursing school.

 

 

Annual CCMC, CSP, ASM & Aetna Ambulance Toy Drive

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The 2016 Toy Drive was again a great success. Below you will find a collage of pictures from the days spent collecting toys for Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

“They were very professional and kind.”

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SOUTH WINDSOR – In early December, Aetna Ambulance received a hand written thank you letter addressed to Paramedic Ryan Gonska and EMT Cole Ashker. The note, as depicted below, is in regards to a transport completed a few days prior.

 

 

Just a short note to express my appreciation for 2 of your employees [Ryan] and Cole. [They] picked me up [at a] walk-in clinic [and brought me] to St. Francis Hospital. They were very professional and kind. All around good guys. Thank you.

“Just Keep Looking At The One!”

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HARTFORD –  On December 10, 2016, Aetna Ambulance received a letter from Hartford Hospital’s Management Team, regarding the exceptional actions of Paramedic, Nick Foran. After noticing his kind gesture (depicted below), Karen Teixeira, a triage nurse, drafted a letter to the Hospital’s Management Team. Her letter prompted an outpouring of gratitude and self reflection from Danette Alexander, Nurse Director of Emergency Services. Read both the letter and note below.

The letter from Karen Teixeira:

A medic from Aetna brought in a homeless man tonight that was seen and  released.  Later, this medic came up to me asking where the patient was; I looked in the tracker and told him that it looked like the patient had been discharged. He was disappointed.  He then told me that the patient was homeless and that all of his clothes were wet, especially his gloves. I noticed the pair of gloves in this medic’s hand.  I asked him if they were for the patient, he said they were. I told him that he may be in the waiting room because we typically allow homeless patients to stay in the reception area if the weather is cold.  He proceeded to look in the waiting room and found the patient. He was relieved that he was able to find the gentleman to give him a pair of dry gloves so that he wouldn’t get frost bite.

The note from Danette:

This is a beautiful story.

I believe it is our mission:  To help.  To help in any way we can.  It is not a little thing to allow the homeless a warm shelter—even for just a few hours.

The empathy shown by this medic was not a little thing.

It is the only thing.

I try to learn each day so I can be a better person.  Not just for me or my family, not just for all of you but I try to be better so I can help those who need us most.

Sometime it is overwhelming to look at all the people who need us. It is often daunting to the ED; the needs of all the service lines and the patients who makeup each of these patient populations.   It is disheartening to listen to feedback from people that feel we fell short of their expectations.

Yes, we can be better.  There is always room for improvement (I am the first to admit that I can be better).

But you need to know how proud I am of all of you and the work you do every day.  Try not to be overwhelmed.  We will help each patient.  One at a time and do the best we can.

Mother Teresa said, “If I look at the mass, I will never act.  If I look at the one, I will.”

Just keep looking at the one.  We will be ok.

High Praise for Aetna Crew!

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img_0600FARMINGTON – December 2016, EMTs Jennifer Grayson and Roberto Rizza received high praise recently from a patient’s daughter following a transport to her home. Aetna Ambulance sends Patient Satisfaction Surveys to a randomly selected group of patients, allowing them the opportunity to provide feedback about their ambulance transport.  The last section of the survey allows the patient, or family member, to write about their experience.  In this section, the daughter boasts of professionalism, compassion and friendliness. She goes on to say, “it was the best experience we have had.”

The full note reads:

The EMTs, Jen and Rob, were professional, compassionate, friendly, and took care of transferring my 92 year old mother home. My mother is frequently a hospital patient and requires an ambulance transport home. This is the first time that we have had an Aetna transport and it was the best experience we have had. I will be sure to request Aetna in the future.

 

Above and Beyond!

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Mitch KarrHartford – Aetna Paramedic and Preceptor Mitch Karr has recently joined a prestigious group of critical care providers by obtaining his Flight Paramedic Certification (FP-C). According to The International Board of Specialty Certification (IBSC), “The FP-C certification targets competency at the mastery level of paramedic practice.” This accomplishment required over 6 months of self-study, and the successful completion of a grueling exam. While working full time, Mitch took it upon himself to develop the knowledge base necessary to achieve his goal. Paramedic Sam Dybdahl shares this distinction as well.

Their desire to continually progress as providers demonstrates the commitment our employees have to patient care.

On Veteran’s Day!

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The Ambulance Service of Manchester, LLC and Aetna Ambulance, Inc. would like to thank all past and present Veterans for their service to the United States of America. A special thank you to our employees that have served and continue to do so today. We are fortunate to have such patriotic individuals representing our team.

Words That Describe Us: Volume 89

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Aetna Ambulance Service, Inc. - Ambulance Service of Manchester, LLC.MANCHESTER and HARTFORD — Aetna Ambulance and ASM send Patient and Customer Satisfaction Surveys to a random sampling of patients who have received emergency or STAT inter-facility services from our companies.

The final part of the survey asks that the respondent, “Please use a word or phrase to describe us and/or the ambulance crew.”

Some of the most recent answers and responses provided in the survey responses include the following quotes:

  • They took care of my husband like their loved one.  Thank you all. (16-60808; G. Geres, M. Kleza).
  • Extremely Professional
  • They were both great
  • The ambulance crew was a good group of guys
  • Very nice people
  • Acted Professional
  • Speedy and Very Professional
  • Both members of the crew were respectful and the care they gave me was excellent! (16-6914; J Basora, T Dixon).
  • Reliable with Empathy
  • Knowledgeable/Caring
  • Everything was great; care level, courtesy, assessment skills, pain control (16-70099; W Valencia, R Davenport)
  •   I was very pleased with the speed they got here and the care they gave me (16- 70845 T. Armas, C. Lemire).
  • Very Professional, efficient
  • Competent
  • Very Professional, experienced
  • FEEL GOOD
  • Very Professional and kind
  • Very Prompt-reassuring demeanor
  • Professional and caring
  • Highly professional and extremely knowledgeable (16-42737; M Traber, S Debarge)
  • Highly professional and caring!
  • Everyone was awesome. Made me feel more at ease in my time of need. (16-67734 D. Tedeschi, J Lentini)
  • Very caring, knew what they were doing. I’m very thankful for every one of these people. Please continue to help sick people and people in need. And never take anything for granted (16-71410 R. Davenport, N. Young)
  • They were attentive and skilled. I have bad veins and he was able to put IV in with no pain (16-73264 J. Monhan, F. Tomboly)
  • Kept me informed and calmed me down.
  • Prompt-courteous attendants
  • Appreciated
  • Outstanding!
  • Very caring service. Thank you!
  • Great treatment and concern could not have been better.
  • Caring, professional, and funny! (16-73491: J Duval, R. Bilodeau)
  • Excellent care was given. I felt comfortable and well cared for.

Meet the Newest Members of the Team: Aetna Hires Three – 2016

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HARTFORD — In October, 2016 two EMTs and one Paramedic were added to the Aetna 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.

Courtney Graham:  FULL TIME, Paramedic. My name is Courtney Graham, I am 20 years old and currently live in Harwinton, CT. I have been in the field of Fire and EMS since my junior year of high school, volunteering for Harwinton Ambulance and HWSFD. I graduated college with a degree in Fire Science while attending classes at Wolcott State Fire School, and working as an EMT for Vintech the past couple years. I also help teach in the summer for Camp Fully Involved, an all women’s introduction to the fire service program at New Hampshire Fire Academy. After graduating, I attended New Britain EMS Academy Paramedic Program, where I found my true passion in Emergency Medicine. During the program I had the chance to complete part of my field internship with some of AETNA’s Paramedics and EMTs. I completed NBEMSA’s paramedic program in August as a part of Class 0815. I would like to work towards becoming a flight paramedic and eventually a D.O. where I hope to specialize in Pediatric Emergency Medicine. Outside of EMS, I enjoy traveling, hiking trips to Vermont and New Hampshire, sketching, photography and being with friends and family. I’m very excited to be continuing my EMS career as a Paramedic with AETNA and meeting the rest of the team!

Kyle Kureczka:  PART TIME, EMT. Hi my name is Kyle Kureczka, I am from Berlin, CT. For the last 5 years I have lived in Newport, RI where I went to school and played at Salve Regina University. The last year I have been working in the ER of four hospitals as a medical scribe. Aetna will be my first time working as an EMT. I plan to use my experience as an EMT to one day go to PA school. In my spare time I like to play soccer, work out, read, and be outdoors.

Michael Quezada:  FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Michael Quezada, I am 25 years of age .I got into EMS because I enjoy helping others and it is a very rewarding job. This will be my first time working for EMS and I wish to gain as much medical experience as I can while working for Aetna Ambulance. My future plans for EMS include: working as an EMT for a few years and then going back to school to obtain my Paramedic license. My hobbies are: long boarding, bodybuilding, calisthenics, playing video games and martial arts. I look forward to working with everyone at Aetna Ambulance and making new friends!

 

Meet the Newest Members of the Team: Aetna Hires Four – 2016

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HARTFORD — On June 22, 2016 three EMTs and one Paramedic were added to the Aetna 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.

Cole Ashker:   FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Cole Ashker and I am 24 years old. I was born in Burbank, CA, but lived in South Windsor, CT for the majority of my life. After finishing at South Windsor High School I attended UConn for 4 years. In May of 2014 I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. During school I worked on campus, and continued to do so in a full time capacity after graduation. I never saw myself working a typical 9-5 job, and unfortunately I found that the job wasn’t meeting my desire to help my community. On the recommendation of my best friend Eric Thepsiri, I enrolled in the Hartford Hospital EMT-B course in 2015 and received my certification soon after. I didn’t know what to expect when I enrolled, but I found the material engaging and suited to my interests. When I’m not working I enjoy exercising, playing recreational sports, and finding new adventures to go on with friends. In addition, I’m hoping to start travelling the world and experiencing interesting and new things. I have been looking to enter public service for a long time, and I am extremely excited to start my career in EMS with Aetna Ambulance Service. I look forward to meeting and working the exceptional people of this company.

Chris Nelson:  FULL TIME, Paramedic. Hi my name is Chris.  I am originally from Rhode Island.  I started as an EMT in Cambridge Massachusetts and I went to Paramedic school at Yale New Haven Hospital while working at Aetna.  I have been living in Texas and working as a medic at Austin-Travis County EMS.  I missed blizzards and pumpkin spice coffee so I am moving back to Connecticut and looking forward to working at Aetna once again.

Anthony Palumbo:    PART TIME, EMT. My name is Anthony and I’m 23.  I graduated from UHART in May with a B.S. in Respiratory Therapy and I currently attend Capital for my Paramedic. I am new to the commercial ambulance service but have been a EMT for two and a half years. On my off time I volunteer as a firefighter for Farmington and EMT for Rocky Hill Ambulance. I really enjoy working in the medical field and I am excited to start at Aetna and be a part of the family. In my spare time I like grill, go to the beach, fishing and practicing archery along with doing anything else outdoors.

Anthony Valentine:   PART TIME, EMT. My name is Anthony Valentine, I am 23 years old an a 2016 graduate of Central Connecticut State University I graduated with a bachelors in Biology. I am from Bloomfield, Connecticut. I have a love for medicine and a strong desire to provide service to the world. I’ve worked  at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut since 2011 in patient transport and that opportunity reinforced my desire to work in the medical field and be of service in some way. One of my goals in life is to become an emergency surgeon. I love the anatomy of the body, its function and how everything is connected in someway.   Since a child I’ve always trying to identify new ways and new methods of doing things and medicine is a field I believe still needs innovation. I have horrible sinus allergies, hopefully I can find a long lasting cure. Outside of medicine I have an additional love; the ability to create ideas and bring them to fruition. I am a young entrepreneur I currently run a lifestyle magazine that I hope to compete with well known pop culture magazines like Fader and Complex. I enjoy speaking to youth and doing my best to influence them in a more positive direction. Becoming an EMT was something I wanted since the idea was introduced. The day I passed my cert, excitement overwhelmed my prior feelings of disappointment for having thought I failed. I’m Blessed!  I am a new EMT and received my schooling through the New Britain EMS academy. I am excited to begin this new journey with Aetna Ambulance Service, a place I am excited to call home. 

Aetna at MD Fox School’s Career Day 2016

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HARTFORD — On May 18, 2016 Aetna’s TJ Wain and Sean Howard attended MD Fox School’s Career Day to talk to 8th grade students about EMS as a career, Paramedics and EMTs, and medical emergencies. According to organizers, the focus of Career Day was to expose 8th graders to different careers that may interest them.

Aetna at MD Fox Career Day

New Aetna and ASM websites now live

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Aetna Ambulance website ASM websiteMANCHESTER — Updated versions of the Aetna and ASM websites are now live and can be viewed by clicking on the logo of each company at http://www.asm-aetna.com/.

Available on the sites are forms, information on services, ride along and field internship, access to the company blog, contact information and more.

The sites were built by Image Works web design in Vernon, CT.

Cleared for Independent Dispatch: Aetna’s Michael Bouley Completes Precepting Phase

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Michael Bouley AHARTFORD –  As of March 1, 2016, Aetna’s Michael Bouley has been cleared by Hartford Hospital medical control for independent dispatch as a paramedic to the towns that Aetna serves. His preceptor was Paramedic Kevin Stock.

Michael started at Aetna in November of 2015. He graduated from the Capital Community College Paramedic program after studying western philosophy and sociology at Central Connecticut State University. Michael has also been a volunteer EMT and field training officer with Windsor EMS for three years.

As with all precepting phases at Aetna, Michael’s final approval came from Hartford Hospital after shadowing him and his preceptor in the field as they responded to emergency calls.

On behalf of the Aetna Family, we would like to wish Michael the best of luck and say we are very proud to have such skilled professionals on staff.