MANCHESTER- On Wednesday January 9th, 2019 Ambulance Service of Manchester will be hosting an “East of the River” networking group monthly meeting for the second consecutive year. Veteran Paramedic and Preceptor Greg Derosier will be the keynote speaker for this event. His brief presentation entitled “From an EMS Perspective” will provide the audience with an informative look at the world of pre-hospital emergency and non-emergency medicine.
MANCHESTER-The results are in for the second annual ASM Coat Drive! Thanks to employees, family members and friends, over 40 jackets along with multiple, hats, coats and scarves were collected. ASM’s Laura McHugh was the driving force for this initiative. All donations were delivered to the Manchester Area Conference of Churches (M.A.C.C.) clothing store “Community Threads” located at 466 Main Street in Manchester. A quote from Laura, the event organizer is provided below.
“I am pleased to announce the ASM 2nd annual coat drive has doubled donations received in 2018. This would not have been possible without the help of our employees, family and friends. As an EMS community I sincerely appreciate the help received in coming together to make the area we service a better place.”
MANCHESTER- On December 19th, 2018 Ambulance Service of Manchester EMTs Russ Jones and Kyle Caldwell teamed up with Animatronic Bob for the 2nd annual Bob’s Discount Furniture Food Drive. The event was coordinated by MACC Charities Director & CEO Beth Stafford.
The 2018 “Stuff a Cruiser” 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. Thank you to ASM and Aetna employees, friends and families for their continued involvement and dedication to this event.
Friday, December 14, 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Saturday, December 15, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Sunday, December 16, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Walmart Manchester – 420 Buckland Hills Dr, Manchester, CT
Click for Google Maps driving directions
Walmart East Windsor – 44 Prospect Hill Rd, East Windsor, CT
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Walmart Cromwell – 161 Berlin Rd, Cromwell, CT
Click for Google Maps driving directions
The South Windsor STUFF-A-TRUCK Toy Drive was held this past on Saturday, December 8th 2018 at Stop & Shop and Geissler’s Supermarkets. Ambulance Service of Manchester, South Windsor Police Department, South Windsor Fire Department and South Windsor TRIAD participated with assistance from the Hartford-Evergreen #88 Masonic Lodge of Freemasons. Toys, food and cash were collected to help South Windsor families in need.
Ambulance Service of Manchester is proud to announce the winners of the second annual No Shave November competition. The new ASM Team Captain Charlie Lodge was able to edge out last year’s winner Mikhail Uddin by a whisker. As Team Alternate, Mikhail will assume command if Charlie is unable to fulfill the obligations as Team Captain.Thank you to everyone who donated to the cause to support Men’s Health!
HARTFORD, Conn. – When Aetna Ambulance EMT Ray Berwick realized his partner Chris Cabral was suffering a stroke last month, he quickly rushed his partner to Hartford Hospital, where the trauma team immediately operated on Cabral.
Cabral had a blood clot near his carotid artery, according to WTIC.
Cabral said suffering the stroke while in the ambulance was a bit like winning the lottery.
“He recognized something wasn’t right,” Cabral said of his partner Berwick. “I was inches away from dying and my partner saved my life.”
Berwick has been working alongside Cabral for the past two and a half years.
“Just seeing him walking around and knowing how lucky it is, it’s awesome,” he said.
In a ceremony Berwick was recognized for his quick thinking, along with the team at Hartford Hospital.
“The role that first responders play is truly, truly lifesaving,” said Jeffrey Flaks, the president of Hartford Healthcare, at the ceremony.
Cabral is undergoing physical therapy but Hartford Hospital neurologists said they expect him to make a full recovery. Cabral noted he hopes to be riding with Berwick in their ambulance again sometime in the spring.
Schedule your holiday shopping and throw a few extra toys in the cart for the kids at Connecticut Children’s!
For 22 years, troopers from Troop H of the Connecticut State Police have been as busy as Santa’s elves carrying out their December Toy Drive.
With assistance from Ambulance Service of Manchester (ASM) and Aetna Ambulance, the troopers have collected more than half a million toys and more than $200,000 in donations to benefit children who find themselves in the Emergency Department at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center during the holidays and throughout the year.
Children who have to visit Connecticut Children’s can be overwhelmed with the unknown. Toys collected by the State Police provide a welcome distraction to children and help encourage communication between a care provider and patient. Making a donation today helps provide smiles all year long. Sometimes a toy can be the one thing a child remembers about their visit – a memory you can create.
Unable to make it to one of the toy drive locations?
DONATE TODAY
Thursday, December 13, 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Friday, December 14, 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Saturday, December 15, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Sunday, December 16, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Walmart Manchester – 420 Buckland Hills Dr, Manchester, CT
Click for Google Maps driving directions
Walmart East Windsor – 44 Prospect Hill Rd, East Windsor, CT
Click for Google Maps driving directions
Walmart Cromwell – 161 Berlin Rd, Cromwell, CT
Click for Google Maps driving directions
MANCHESTER – The 10th Annual “Emergency of Hunger” Food Drive, composed of first responders, Rotary members, and others, was a great success! Their combined efforts continue to make a deep and widening impact on hunger in greater Hartford. This year volunteers from Manchester, Vernon, and South Windsor collected 28,000+ food items, 850+ turkeys, and $15,000 in gift card and monitory donations. Please click here to read Contact Reporter Jesse Leavenworth’s article in the Hartford Courant!
On November 15th 2018, Colebrook Village at Hebron hosted a Veteran’s Day Commemoration to honor their resident veterans. ASM EMTs Cody Desilets and Lieutenant Kayla Fortin attended the ceremony which included a Veterans Wall of Honor Dedication.
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.
HARTFORD- On November 15th, 2018 Carol Fronczek, Worker’s Compensation Trust’s Vice President of Loss Control Services presented Aetna Ambulance Service with “Trust’s Award of Excellence.” Over recent years, Aetna has proactively implemented a number of programs in an effort to improve both patient and provider safety. These initiatives have been developed and implemented by Aetna’s Safety and Health Committee.
Congratulations for Aetna being awarded the Trust’s Award of Excellence. Your organization was nominated by Sandy Brophy who put together quite a compelling overview of the various safety activities your organization and you do to keep employees safe.
The Trust Award of Excellence is given to members who:
Award of Excellence
Presented to members who have demonstrated a commitment to safety within their organizations. Criteria includes a favorable workers’ compensation loss history, effective and innovative risk management programs, the accommodation of injured workers back to the workforce, and the presence of a strong safety culture.
Carol Fronczek
Worker’s Compensation Trust
Vice President, Loss Control Services
Wethersfield- On Sunday, November 11th 2018, Aetna employees attended a Food Drive at Stop and Shop (1380 Berlin Tpke) hosted by Wethersfield PD, FD and EMS. Greg Kendall and Madison Nixon teamed up with members of the Wethersfield agencies to collect goods for donation to the local food bank at event end.
HARTFORD — On November 5th, 2018, five EMTs 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.
Alex England: FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Alex England. I graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2015 with a Bachelor’s in Physiology and Neurobiology as well as a Bachelor’s in Molecular and Cell Biology. I have been an EMT for two years and have been working in the Saint Francis Emergency Department as a Technician. My professional goal is to become a Doctor. My fields of interest include Emergency Medicine, Orthopedics and Family Medicine. I am excited to be joining the Aetna team this fall as an EMT-B.
John Magnuson: FULL TIME, EMT. My name is John Magnuson. I am 22 years old from North Haven CT. This past spring, I completed EMT training at Code One. I also hold certifications in Firefighter I and II as well as HazMat Awareness and Operations. In my free time, I am a volunteer firefighter in North Haven and I also enjoy snowboarding, kayaking and quading. I am looking forward to starting my career at Aetna and continuing my education to one day become a paramedic. My future plan is to become a Fire Medic. I’m excited to start working with all of you!
Kelsey Lopata: FULL TIME, EMT. Hi, I am Kelsey. This past spring I was certified as an EMT through Code One in East Hartford. I searched for a career in the medical field and found EMT a great entry point. I am excited that I received a position at Aetna and look forward to furthering my experience as a medical professional.
Aidan Mace: FULL TIME, EMT. Hi, my name is Aidan Mace. I’m currently finishing up my paramedic program at capital community college. I’ve been an EMT for just over two and a half years. I started at AMR and have worked at Glastonbury EMS for the last almost two years now. I’m excited and looking forward to being a part of the Aetna team.
HARTFORD COURANT
by Jesse Leavenworth
First responders and food pantry managers gathered at the MACC Community Kitchen Monday to kick off the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive.
Collections of turkeys, non-perishable food items, cash and gift cards are scheduled for the next two weekends at supermarkets in Manchester, Vernon and South Windsor.
The effort relies on the public’s generosity and volunteers from police, fire and emergency medical agencies, along with Rotary Club members and Stop & Shop and Geissler’s supermarkets. Collections benefit clients of soup kitchens and food pantries, including those run by Manchester Area Conference of Churches Charities and the Hockanum Valley Community Council.
Items needed, in particular, include canned vegetables, condiments, sugar, flour, coffee, tea and cocoa. Cash donations and gift cards also are welcome, food drive spokesman Patrick Gleason of Ambulance Service of Manchester said.
Last year, the drive netted 31,276 food items, 675 turkeys and cash and gift card donations totaling about $16,000. Each year, participating agencies challenge each other to collect the most donations. Losers this year have agreed to work at the winner’s food pantry or soup kitchen, Gleason said.
Collections are set for:
_ Friday and Saturday and Nov. 17 and 18 at Manchester Stop & Shop, 286 Broad St., from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day;
_ Stop & Shop in Vernon, 10 Pitkin Road, Nov. 17 and 18, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day;
_ Stop & Shop in the Rockville section of Vernon, 50 Windsorville Road, Nov. 17 and 18, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day;
_ Stop & Shop in South Windsor, 1739 Ellington Road, Nov. 17 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.;
_ And Geissler’s Supermarket, South Windsor, 965 Sullivan Ave., Nov. 17 and 18, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.