Words That Describe Us: Volume 68

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 answers/responses included:

  • E. Thepsiri and J. Basora were 2 outstanding EMS providers. My two “Top Guns”. (15-78017).
  • Fantastic and thank you.
  • Professional.
  • Your ambulance + crew took good care of me.
  • Very efficient and caring. Appreciated the teamwork. Very fortunate to have this excellent service. The response was appreciated.
  • Caring + professional.
  • Very thankful and grateful for your service! Hoping we won’t need you again. As a former EMT – al crewmembers worked as a team. I felt the EMS person from EH was very professional and took charge. (15-71526; T. Armas, C. Heitman with East Hartford Fire Department).
  • Very caring and helpful.
  • Compassion! I was terrified not being able to breat and they immediately took over and made me feel a bit more at ease. Very professional but comforting!! Thank you all!! (15-72772; M. Tuttle, J. Startup with Manchester Fire Rescue EMS).
  • Exceptional.
  • Very professional, knowledgeable + caring.
  • Very professional and caring.
  • The crew was very professional. Couldn’t ask for better. (15-78310; G. Kendall, R. McDonald).
  • Very professional.
  • They were very helpful! Thank you for being there!
  • Efficient.
  • Professional x 4.
  • Excellent!
  • Awesome crew!
  • Very attentive.
  • Crew was very pleasant, knowledgable. I was very impressed with their service. (15-79633; W. Schnepp, M. Kleza).
  • They performed in a very professional way.
  • Friendly – eased my fears.
  • Comfortable to be taken care of by.

Another Good Year For Emergency Of Hunger Food Drive

HARTFORD COURANT

By Jesse Leavenworth

MANCHESTER — Donations to the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive show the region’s generosity has not diminished.

Police, firefighters, emergency medical providers and other volunteers gathered food and other gifts over the past two weekends at supermarkets in Manchester, Rocky Hill, South Windsor, Vernon and Windsor.

Estimated totals were: 26,000 food and personal care items; $23,000 in cash, checks and gift cards; and 870 turkeys and hams, organizer Dave Skoczulek of Ambulance Service of Manchester said Tuesday.

Total donations for the seven years that first responders have run the drive are 210,000 food and personal care items, $143,000 in cash, checks and gift cards and over 6,000 turkeys and hams. Read the whole story here….

Little Manchester Road Race Nets Big Food Drive Gain

Little Road Race Food Drive CMANCHESTER — On November 21, 2015 the Little Manchester Road Race (LMRR) for children, a precursor to the Thanksgiving Day race, asked that each runner bring a non-perishable food item for donation.

Those items were ultimately transported  and donated to MACC Charities food bank in Manchester to coincide with the ‘Emergency of Hunger’ Food Drive being run in six towns over the weekend.

The LMRR component of the food drive was a huge success, bringing in over 1300 non-perishable food items for those in need. Pictures of the haul being loaded into an ASM ambulance are attached here, courtesy of Stephanie Boutot and Russell Jones.

Aetna Ambulance Crew Assists Film Crew

HARTFORD — Aetna’s Matt Campbell and Justine Monahan assisted a film crew completing a sequence in Hartford in October of 2015. After speaking with the movie’s director and vetting the film’s concept and basic content Aetna Ambulance elected to help the director capture a few key scenes.

A large portion of the movie was filmed in Africa with the final portions filmed here in Hartford. The final title has not been worked out but the movie’s themes revolve around change, redemption and family as well as darker topics like escaping drugs and alcohol.

First Responders In Six Towns Prepare For Food Drive

Kyle Caldwell, left, and Dave Tedeschi, emergency medical technicians with Ambulance Service of Manchester, at the 2013 Emergency of Hunger Food Drive.

Kyle Caldwell, left, and Dave Tedeschi, emergency medical technicians with Ambulance Service of Manchester, at the 2013 Emergency of Hunger Food Drive.

HARTFORD COURANT

by Jesse Leavenworth

First responders in Manchester and five other towns are gearing up for the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive, an annual effort that organizers say has proven vital to food pantries in the region.

Read the full article here…

“Many of the area food banks have come to rely on this food drive and the generosity of shoppers to get them through the holiday season,” Skoczulek said.

To date, he said, volunteers have collected about 187,000 food and personal care items, 5,500 turkeys and over $120,000 in cash, checks and gift cards.

“All we ask is for each shopper to purchase one extra item to donate,” Skoczulek said. “Many shoppers go well beyond this and donate multiple items — sometimes even whole shopping carts. But every little bit helps, so we appreciate each item.”

All locations are Stop & Shop supermarkets, except for Geissler’s Supermarket on Sullivan Avenue in South Windsor.

• Manchester: 286 Broad St., Saturday and Sunday and Nov. 21 and 22 — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Rockville section of Vernon: 50 Windsorville Road, Saturday and Sunday and Nov. 21 and 22 — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Rocky Hill: 80 Town Line Road, Saturday and Sunday and Nov. 21 — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m..

• Vernon: 10 Pitkin Road, Saturday and Sunday and Nov. 21 and 22 — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Windsor: 1095 Kennedy Road, Saturday and Sunday — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• South Windsor: 1739 Ellington Road, Nov. 21 and 22 — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• South Windsor: Geissler’s Supermarket, 965 Sullivan Ave., Nov. 21 and 22 — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Enfield collection dates, times and locations are to be announced.

“Every year we hope for good weather and holiday cheer to help us through,” Skoczulek said, “but no matter what, we always seem to bring in a big haul for those in need.”

Meet the Newest Members of the Team: Aetna Hires Six, 2015

HARTFORD — On November 6, 2015, three EMTs and three Paramedics were added to the Aetna team. As part of our continued growth ASM and Aetna 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.

Amy Bastien:   FULL TIME, EMT. Hi, my name is Amy Bastien, I’m 27 years old, and I live in New Britain, CT. I graduated from UMass Amherst in 2010 with a B.S. in Business Management. After college, I spent a few years traveling and living abroad. In that time, I learned a lot about myself volunteering at clinics in underserved populations, and began to feel compelled to help those who cannot help themselves. It is my hope to gain as much experience as possible as an EMT with Aetna, in order to proceed to a physician assistant program. It is my life goal to continue on a path of providing comfort and care to those in need. In my spare time, I hang out with my dog, play co-ed soccer, and train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Team Link. I am greatly looking forward to working with Aetna and am very thankful for the opportunity to do so.

Melissa Bilgen:   FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Melissa and I am 26 years old. Born in Hartford, CT but holding dual citizenship in Turkey. I graduated from UCONN Storrs in 2012 with a B.A. in Biology and minor in Anthropology. I joined the Army National Guard in 2013. I am currently a 68W, Combat Medic, in the 102d Infantry. I am one of two females integrated into the Infantry Unit which is exciting. Ever since I became a Combat Medic I always knew I wanted a career in the medical field. The way the human body works and reacts to things is fascinating to me. I also want to keep my skills set up if I deploy. I strive to one day be a paramedic. In my free time I am very much into fitness. My favorite classes are Core, HIIT, and Yoga.

Michael Bouley:    FULL TIME, Paramedic. My name is Michael Bouley, I am 29 years old and I am originally from Manchester, CT, presently living in Tolland, CT. After high school I attended Central Connecticut State University, studying a broad number of subjects, primarily western philosophy and sociology. I took my EMT course through Hartford Hospital, and absolutely loved the unique experience, and the opportunity to help people that EMS affords. I have been a volunteer EMT with Windsor EMS for the last three years, and particularly enjoyed the responsibility of being a field training officer teaching new EMTs. I recently graduated from the Capital Community College Paramedic program, and I am very excited to begin my career as a part of the Aetna Ambulance team and to further my knowledge and experience in the field. In my spare time I like hiking with my two dogs, camping, painting miniatures, and playing video games, I am an avid reader, and love learning about history, philosophy, and science. I look forward to working for a company that has such a strong reputation, and hope to meet everyone soon!

Tessa Gilbert:  FULL TIME, Paramedic. My name is Tessa Gilbert, I am 25 years old and currently live in Ledyard, CT. When I was younger my dad was in the military so I have lived many places on the East Coast as well as in Alaska. I have been in commercial EMS for a company in Norwich for two years.  I started in EMS after graduating from UCONN with a Psychology degree and really enjoyed many aspects of the job. I decided after about five months in EMS that I enjoyed it so much that I enrolled and am about to complete the Paramedic Program at Goodwin College. When I am not working or in class I like to work out and stay active. This includes hiking, swimming, completing Tough Mudders, volleyball, soccer, traveling, and paddle boarding. I mostly try to stay in good shape since I also really enjoy eating and trying new restaurants/food. I also enjoy watching movies and Netflix binging.  I aspire to eventually become a flight medic and one day a CRNA. I am really excited to begin working and expanding my skills and experience with Aetna.

Ryan Sullivan:   FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Ryan Sullivan and I am 22 years old. I graduated from UCONN in May 2015, with a major in molecular and cell biology and a minor in math. As an undergraduate I thought I wanted to pursue research as a career. But after working in chemical engineering, allied health, and epigenetic labs, I realized that research was not for me. In my final semester I took an EMT training course that UCONN offered, just because I thought it would be fun. I really enjoyed the course and after graduating, I knew I wanted to stick with it. Now I am very interested in the medical field, and I hope to one day go to medical school. In my free time I like to play video games, hang out with friends, and scuba dive. I also want to pick up skydiving as a hobby. I am looking forward to working with everyone at Aetna Ambulance, and I hope my time here will be the start to a great career in medicine.

Words That Describe Us: Volume 67

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 answers/responses included:

  • Good crew.
  • The team was competent and caring while at home as well as at the hospital. (15-72950; S. Norton, S. Boutot with assistance from F. Tomboly).
  • Wonderful.
  • R. was wonderful. He put me at ease. Made me laugh. (15-72911; R. Gonska, J. Barletta).
  • Very professional. I will say [they] were outstanding.
  • I am [patient’s] wife who called 911. It was such trauma for me I really don’t remember much but knew my husband was in good hands. Thank you again. They made a great team! (15-73328; R. Gonska, J. Monahan).
  • Very professional, caring, serious.
  • Very knowledgeable + efficient.
  • Very pleasant in a tense situation. Very professional. (15-73029; K. Russell, S. DeBarge with Manchester Fire Rescue EMS).
  • Very professional + informative.
  • Very knowledgeable + compassionate. Friendly – he made me feel better! (15-71156; J. Platero, B. Deoliveira).
  • Professional + caring.
  • Excellent service and care.
  • Very good.
  • Arrived promptly. Well informed. (15-75491; R. McConville, M. Buerk).
  • Skillful, comforting, integrity. The quality of service was excellent. I felt very safe. (15-75677; R. Davenport, W. Valencia with Manchester Fire Rescue EMS).
  • From start to finish I am very pleased. J + A took my son to Children’s and calmed me down + took great care with my son. (15-75041; A. Wysocki, J. Bush with East Hartford Fire Department).
  • Professional and efficient.
  • The whole crew was professional + comforting.
  • Compassionate.
  • Excellent.
  • Professional.
  • Very caring.

Words That Describe Us: Volume 66

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 answers/responses included:

  • Very professional and knowledgeable.
  •  Kind and efficient.
  • The crew was good.
  • Professional, caring, personable.
  • They were great.
  • Frank was awesome. Never being involved in such a bad accident, he was by far the nicest man, EMT, ever. I greatly appreciate everything he did for me. Professional, caring, funny, relaxing, truly professional. Both were excellent and caring. (15-72527; Frank T., J. Monahan).
  • They were very caring and helpful, explained everything they were doing or about to do and talked to me to redirect my attention from pain + injury. Very caring and considerate young men. Your company should be proud of their example of how a medic or other ambulance assistance should behave. Definitely empathetic and caring of my needs + concerns. Thank you!! (15-72363; T. Carey, A. Wysocki with Manchester Fire Rescue EMS).
  • Very professional, courteous and compassionate.
  • Professional, caring.
  • Professional service by two very skilled, concerned, young people. (15-72138; T. Webster, M. Carter).
  • Caring + very professional.
  • Responsive/professional.
  • Comforting – Professional (nice guys).
  • Very professional.
  • Professional yet personable.
  • Angels of Mercy. Early morning, seizure alone and scare, but they arrived through that door professionally, competent, showing immediate care and concern. I felt that the EMTs were highly skilled with excellent training…they exhibited kindness, care, hope, faith and a genuine message that we are here to help. (15-71254; T. Houle, T. George with East Hartford Fire Department).
  • Compassionate, attentive, kind hearted. (15-62554; M. Hoyt, N. Raiola with Manchester Fire Rescue EMS).
  • Very professional.

Words That Describe Us: Volume 65

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 answers/responses included:

  • Professional, caring and concerned – thank you so very much! (15-66408; K. Caldwell, S. Gregg).
  • Professional.
  • The gentleman was very professional and concerned. Thank him for his quick action! (15-64972; F. Tomboly, A. Dias).
  • Caring.
  • Helpful.
  • The EMT professionals were very nice + did a great job.
  • Kind – reassuring – respectful. (15-68474; M. Sparks, M. Khan with Manchester Fire Rescue EMS).
  • Very caring. I appreciated how the crew cleaned up the floor and all the blood from my cut. (15-66964; R. Leslie, S. Boutot).
  • Everything was fine. Helpful.
  • Well done.
  • Very professional and caring. (15-65687; M. Tuttle, R. Anderson).
  • Skilled w/ care
  • They took the extreme pain I was in very seriously which I appreciate.
  • “Experienced and compassionate.” I was so impressed with all those who treated me. They are incredible. (15-68336; C. Lemire, R. Jones with Manchester Fire Rescue EMS).
  • Capable, professional.
  • Professional.
  • Confident. Yes, would like to thank the RN (female)…I trusted her judgment. (15-69612; K. Teixeira).
  • Very professional.
  • Superb. They have earned my utmost respect and thanks. (15-65470; D. Rice, M. Sparks with East Hartford Fire Department).
  • Wonderful. Thank you all for what you do!!!! Thank you!! Thank you!! (15-70599; R. Grzywinski, C. Lemire).
  • Excellent + Very professional.
  • Very professional and knowledgeable (15-66650, J. Rosado, R Grzywinski).
  • Calm, balanced, compassionate, caring. (15-62715; J. Rasmussen, J. Hornish).
  • Skilled and compassionate. (15-70859; K. Caldwell, J. Duval).

Words That Describe Us: Volume 64

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 answers/responses included:

  • They all worked as a team, hyper-aware of the pain I was in…I felt that the focus was on me clearly. There was much confusion at the ER as to where to put me but they stayed with me until officially handing me over. Thanks to all! (15-62848; C. Masslon, L. Mazzoni with East Hartford Fire Department).
  • The paramedic who rode in the back demonstrated care, compassion and knowledge. We were very lucky to have him there for us! (15-62960; H. Mendes).
  • Very professional.
  • Considerate.
  • Great.
  • Thank them for me – they were Great! (15-61009; S. Piscopiello, J. Rodriguez).
  • Well trained.
  • Prompttiness/caring. (exactly how it was written)
  • Comforting.
  • They were very kind, and we were grateful for their help. (15-57635; R. O’Neil, S. Boutot).
  • Comforting.
  • Professional.
  • I was in extreme internal pain, EMT staff addressed my urgency to get to the hospital. Clots were removed and fluid extracted. Very satisfied with service. (15-62222; S. Dybdahl, M. Caffazzo).
  • Caring and skilled.
  • Right on!
  • Excellent.
  • Highly professional.
  • Concerned.
  • Professional + caring.
  • Great! The crew was great. It is so good to know there are still a few people out there that still care about the well-being of others. Great job. Thank you. God bless those young people. Thank you!
  • The crew was very professional + pleasant.
  • Excellent.
  • Knowledgeable, polite.
  • Very professional
  • Friendly & professional.

Aetna On Hand for Rocky Hill Veteran’s Home ‘2015 Stand Down’

ROCKY HILL — On September 18, 2015 crews from Aetna Ambulance were on hand for the Connecticut Department of Veteran’s Affairs 2015 “Stand Down.” The eight hour event offers veterans access to medical screenings, veteran benefit information (State and Federal), legal and motor vehicle assistance and employment and educational assistance.

Words That Describe Us: Volume 63

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 answers/responses included:

  • Awesome! This is the 2nd time I’ve had to use ASM. In both times, due to my 911 call, your response, your whole team, their concerns and compassion for me is on a scale of 1-10 a “10”. Thank you for being there. (15-54890; M. Osborne, B. Langan with Manchester Fire Rescue EMS).
  • Highly professional and surprisingly empathetic. (15-50046; R. O’Neil, K. King).
  • Very nice, compassionate, well trained.
  • Prompt and efficient.
  • Kind.
  • Kind + professional.
  • Very professional and caring.
  • Absolutely wonderful!
  • Were caring – patient – comfortable.
  • Attendant + concerned.
  • They were very professional.
  • They were concerned about me, which I appreciated. (15-59529; M. Levasseur, J. Startup).
  • Skilled, professional and caring.
  • Excellent!
  • Top notch services across the board.
  • Professional & caring.
  • Excellent, prompt + professional.
  • Very good.
  • Caring + professional.
  • The two fellows that came were absolutely wonderful. Thank you for your service. (15-61011; M. Tuttle, S. Yenco).
  • A & J were professional & courteous at a very stressful time. I was injured just before my son’s wedding & they were great. (15-60976; A. Fine, J. Duval).
  • I felt very comfortable with those people.
  • Very professional.
  • The Best.
  • Very good!
  • Professional, compassionate, competent.
  • Helpful. Accommodating.

INTERACT Training for Emergency Medical Services – The ‘Red Envelope’

QIO-and-Qualidigm-logosINTERACT stands for Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers. It is a quality improvement program designed to improve the early identification, assessment, documentation, and communication about changes in the status of residents in skilled nursing facilities.

The goal of INTERACT is to improve care and reduce the frequency of potentially avoidable transfers to the acute hospital. Such transfers can result in numerous complications of hospitalization, and billions of dollars in unnecessary health care expenditures. It includes clinical and educational tools and strategies for use in every day practice in long-term care facilities.

Here is the link to the INTERACT Training for Emergency Services:

http://www.healthcarefornewengland.org/providers/nursing-home/#tool

Then select “INTERACT Training for Emergency Services”

The training is about 12 minutes in length and covers the new acute care transfer process between a participating nursing home and hospital.

  • Not all nursing homes are part of this initiative so EMS will find that some homes will still be using the W-10 and other documents during their acute care transfers
  • The nursing homes that are using the red envelope as part of their new acute care transfer process will seal the red envelope and have a set of transfer documents for the EMS service so they will not have to open the envelope
  • The rollout date to begin using the new acute care transfer process and the red envelope is August 31, 2015.
  • The entire red envelope should be handed to the ED staff either at triage or in the ED room as the patient is being transferred from the stretcher to the bed
  • The red envelope is to be used only for acute care transfers between participating nursing homes and hospital – they should not be used for other types of transfers
  • There will not be a W-10 as part of the transfer documents – the front page of the INTERACT transfer form along with the residents’ face sheet meet the Department of Health Public Health Code requirements

Words That Describe Us: Volume 62

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 answers/responses included:

  • Professional x 4.
  • Good.
  • The ambulance crew were kind and considerate. [They] were gentlemen. (15-49319; M. Karr, J. Brungard).
  • Professional, caring.
  • Compassionate, caring, skilled. (15-44193; M. Khan, K. Russell).
  • Exceptional service & care!
  • The best ever, awesome people.
  • Very respectful and good at their jobs. (15-54240; J. Bush, K. King with Manchester Fire Rescue EMS).
  • Extremely efficient, comforting, skilled, knowledgeable individuals who seemed to genuinely care about the patient + enjoy their work. S. was excellent and had a great bedside manner that truly decreased my pain + anxiety. (15-54546; D. Kemp, S. Jachym).
  • Very helpful, made me feel at ease. I felt I was finally being helped. (15-55056; R. Bilodeau, R. Anderson).
  • All personnel were very compassionate, caring, & attentive, interaction with family members was outstanding. (15-55405; S. Gregg, M. Hoyt).
  • Tremendous.
  • Professional, caring, concerned.
  • Thank you for caring for me when I was injured!!
  • Right on top of things.
  • Very professional.
  • Wonderful.
  • Professional, highly skilled + attentive. (15-54417; S. Crittenden, S. Boutot with East Hartford Fire Department).
  • The medic that responded & provided care was WONDERFUL. She had a competent, efficient, & compassionate bedside manner. She was very clear & effective in communicating with us. Made our transition into the ER a very smooth one. Thank you!! (15-27109; G. Geres, H. Marshall).
  • Excellent.
  • They were very professional.
  • They were patient and understanding.

Cleared for Independent Dispatch: Aetna’s Eric Thepsiri Completes Precepting Phase

HARTFORD –  As of August 21, 2015, Aetna’s Eric Thepsiri has been cleared by Hartford Hospital medical control for independent dispatch as a paramedic to the towns that Aetna serves.

Eric started at Aetna in March of 2015 and graduated from the Hartford Hospital-Goodwin College Paramedic Program. His preceptor was Paramedic Matt Campbell. The full precepting phase can take ten to 12 weeks or more as the paramedic is prepped for the realities of the field. Eric started in EMS at 16.  He is currently continuing his education at UConn with an eye towards medical school.

As with all precepting phases at Aetna, Eric’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 Eric the best of luck and say we are very proud to have such skilled professionals on staff.