SOUTH WINDSOR – On October 10th, Foster Family Farm hosted a Public Safety Day honoring 1st Responders. As shown in the picture to the left, the maze was cut to portray Police, Fire and EMS. Crew members from ASM, along with representatives from South Windsor Fire and Police Departments were on hand to showcase their respective rolls in emergency response.
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:
Photo Credit: Jim Michaud
East Hartford – On Tuesday, October 11th, a Piper PA 34 aircraft (information provided by the F.A.A.) crashed on the 400 block of Main Street in East Hartford prompting a whirlwind of news coverage. The above picture was released on the US News and World Report website later that evening.
Working alongside East Hartford and Pratt and Whitney Fire departments, in conjunction with East Hartford Police, The Ambulance Service of Manchester responded to the scene with a total of 5 ambulances and an Operations Supervisor vehicle. Two patients were transported with ASM and East Hartford Fire Paramedics to area hospitals.
Ambulance Service of Manchester does not publish pictures of patients or their family members. This picture was published by The US News and World Report.
MANCHESTER – On Thursday September 8, 2016 Ambulance Service of Manchester hosted it’s first annual Open House. Those in attendance were able to tour the renovated headquarters including new Dispatch-Communications Center, EMS Training Facility, expanded business office, on-site fleet maintenance, decaling and operations center. The Ice Cream Emergency truck was also on hand to scoop ice cream.
MANCHESTER – As of September 9, 2016, ASM’s Michael Karanda has been cleared by Eastern Connecticut Health Network medical control for independent dispatch as a paramedic to the towns that ASM serves. His preceptors were Paramedic Supervisor Melissa Osborne and Paramedic Joshua Traber.
Michael started at ASM in February of 2016 and graduated from the Capital Community College Paramedic program. He started off in the medical field in 2011 after receiving his EMTB Certification. He has been a member of Glastonbury Volunteer Fire Department since 2008.
As with all precepting phases at ASM, Michael’s final approval came from Eastern Connecticut Health Network after shadowing him and his preceptors in the field as they responded to emergency calls.
On behalf of the ASM Family, we would like to wish Michael the best of luck and say we are very proud to have such skilled professionals on staff.
MANCHESTER – In late September Ambulance Service of Manchester received a letter of praise for Paramedic Kenya Russell and her EMT partner Robert Grzywinski from a patient they transported during an inter-facility transfer.
The letter reads:
“I would like to take this opportunity to let you know the two people who transported me from Windham Hospital to Hartford Hospital on [Date in August] were wonderful to me.
Although I was nervous and upset, they helped to calm me, and put me at ease.
If I remember, the lady’s name was Kenya. She asked me what kind of music I wanted to hear. I said off the top of my head Vienna Waltzes and low and behold she played a [song] which made me smile.
Those two people are certainly in the right line of work. I will never forget their kindness.”
MANCHESTER — On September 17, 2016 a team made up of Ambulance Service of Manchester employees played in a charity softball tournament against teams from Manchester Police Department and Manchester Fire Rescue EMS to benefit the Manchester Police Benevolent Association.
Note: ASM is NOT the ambulance transport or paramedic service provider in Willimantic. In an emergency, always dial 9-1-1.
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Submitted by ASM’s Stephanie Boutot
WILLIMANTIC — I know the 4th has come and gone, but ASM is still America Strong! It was another successful year at the annual Boom Box Parade in Willimantic. ASM, in our traditional orange and blue, proudly wore red, white and blue to celebrate with the rest of the crowd for the momentous occasion.
The radio set to the 1400 WILI AM station as they played the parade music, a tradition that began in 1986 when no marching band was available for the parade. This year’s parade was held in 82 degree weather and lasted 96 minutes, the longest since the record breaker of 117 min in 2010.
I enjoy the reactions from the parade goers, young and old, with great big smiles, waves and cheers. We may not be the first responders in the town, but they know who we are and they seem to appreciate us here. It’s an event I look forward to every year!
MANCHESTER – As of June 28, 2016, ASM’s Ashley Linardo has been cleared by Eastern Connecticut Health Network medical control for independent dispatch as a paramedic to the towns that ASM serves. Her preceptors were Paramedics Mike Levasseur and Dave White and Paramedic Supervisor Tim LaChappelle and Beth Sheils.
Ashley started at ASM in October of 2015 and graduated from the Capital Community College Paramedic program. She started off in the medical field five years ago as a Patient Care Technician and a volunteer firefighter.
As with all precepting phases at ASM, Ashley’s final approval came from Eastern Connecticut Health Network after shadowing her and her preceptors in the field as they responded to emergency calls.
On behalf of the ASM Family, we would like to wish Ashley the best of luck and say we are very proud to have such skilled professionals on staff.
SOMERS — During June 2016, ASM Paramedic Billy Schnepp and his partner Bill Gorman responded to a medical call in Somers, CT. The patient had a witnessed cardiac arrest, was defibrillated by Somers Fire Department prior to ASM’s arrival. The patient had a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) from Somers FD efforts and was being loaded into their ambulance.
The patient became slowly able to follow commands and answer questions in the ambulance and responded to care consistent with protocol. The EKG was indicative of a STEMI and Billy wirelessly transmitted the 12-lead EKG to [Hospital], activating their cardiac catherization lab from the field. (#16-43800). Early intervention, teamwork and technology all in play to improve outcomes.
Excellent job by Somers Fire Department in their aggressive, accurate and appropriate care. Great job by Billy and Bill on deploying wireless STEMI transmission. This is a strong example of teamwork among ASM and our partners. ASM is proud to work alongside Somers Fire Department.
MANCHESTER — On June 7, 2016 seven EMTs 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.
Benjamin Adamik: FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Benjamin Adamik and I’m 22 years old. I currently live in Manchester where I was born and raised. As a recent graduate from the Medical Laboratory Science program at the University of Vermont, I look forward to a career in medicine. In my experiences as an EMT, I have found emergency medicine to be extremely captivating, and is where I see myself contributing within healthcare. I ultimately plan to apply to Physician Assistant programs with the goal of working in an Emergency Department. During my time at college, I was involved in tumor suppression therapy research, took a medical service trip to Lima, Peru, volunteered on a local ambulance service, and had the opportunity to ski some of Vermont’s finest peaks. In my free time I also enjoy hiking, fishing, swimming, and overall being outside. I have a strong sense of adventure and am always looking to gain new experiences. I believe our experiences are fundamental for who we are as individuals, and therefore to grow and improve ourselves we must seek out the unfamiliar. Altogether I am very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Ambulance Service of Manchester, and for the experiences I will be granted as I learn and grow as a healthcare provider.
Michael Cedeno: FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Michael Cedeno I am 27 years old and I currently live in Hartford, CT. I’ve worked at Manchester Memorial Hospital for about five years. I started off in the kitchen as their Cook and Event Caterer then worked my way to the emergency department doing Patient Access. During my time working in the ED I’ve seen quite a few interesting things that intrigued me to want to learn more about patient care and all that health providers do to help save and improve the quality of life for their patients. I enjoy helping and caring for people so I took my EMT course last fall and I’m glad to have been given an opportunity to help serve and care for the people of the community that are in need and rely on EMS.
Justin Cole: FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Justin Cole. I am 31 years old. I was born, and raised in Illinois and moved to New England in July of 2012. I currently reside in South Windsor, CT. The majority of my life I have had an interest in the medical field especially since I grew up with family members working in hospitals and as nurses. I am an avid outdoorsman and was looking to combine my love for climbing and my health care interests together. In the summer of 2015 I took a Wilderness First Responder class with plans to start a career in outdoor guiding as a single pitch rock climbing instructor. However, after the first responder class my interest in emergency medicine became more important to me. Following the summer, I signed up for an EMT class in the Fall of 2015 in South Windsor and after starting class I immediately fell in love with it and have developed a passion for emergency medicine. After finishing my EMT class, and earning my certifications I have become a volunteer for the Bloomfield Volunteer Ambulance Service. I am very excited for the opportunity to be a part of the ASM family and grow as an EMT. I am also looking forward to joining such an amazing team of health care providers and serve my community.
Scott Harrington: FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Scott Harrington I am 29 years old and currently live in Agawam, MA. I graduated from Western New England College in 2009 with a degree in psychology. After I graduated I spent six and a half years as a police dispatcher with two different departments in Massachusetts. I first obtained my EMT certification in 2007 and I finally joined the EMS community in the fall of 2014 when I began to volunteer as an EMT with Suffield EMS. Soon after I started with Suffield I realized I had found a new career path. I am looking forward to learn and contribute as much as I can to ASM and the communities we serve. I am also going to be attending paramedic school this fall at Greenfield Community College. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my fiance, kayaking and target shooting.
Sean McNeff: FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Sean McNeff and I am a 24 year old from Enfield. I graduated from Central Connecticut State University (class of 2013) with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. I worked a couple jobs in retail and insurance, but decided my desire was to work in medical field/emergency services. I recently completed EMT class at Asnuntuck Community College and got certification shortly after. I hope to one day become a paramedic and remain in EMS. I am happy to finally find a career I am excited for, and couldn’t be happier for the opportunity to begin that career at ASM.
Erind Muco: FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Erind Muco and I am 22 years old. I was born in Tirana, Albania and moved to the U.S. when I was six years old. I currently live in Wethersfield, CT. I recently graduated from UConn with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and now I hope to attend medical school. At ASM, I am looking to gain invaluable medical experience which will propel me further in my medical career. When given the opportunity, I enjoy traveling and learning about different cultures, as well as watching/playing soccer, football, and basketball. I am proud to be a part of such a distinguished company, and I am excited to begin working.
Karisa Welch: FULL TIME, EMT. Full time, EMT. My name is Karisa Welch. I am 21 years old and from Somers, Connecticut. I recently graduated from UConn with a Bachelor of Science in Allied Health and a minor in Psychology. During my time at UConn I was dedicated to serving the community through my leadership roles in Public Health House and my honor society. My experience volunteering in the ER at Johnson Memorial first peaked my interest in health care. I explored this field more by shadowing a Physical Therapist and a Physician Assistant. This helped me discover that my ultimate goal is to become a Physician Assistant. I currently volunteer with Somers Fire Department. I am very excited to get this valuable experience in emergency care as an EMT. I’m looking forward to learning new things and helping people each day!
MANCHESTER – As of May 23, 2016, ASM’s Jared Krajewski has been cleared by Eastern Connecticut Health Network medical control for independent dispatch as a paramedic to the towns that ASM serves. His preceptors were Paramedic Supervisor Bob O’Neil and Paramedic Don Hart.
Jared started at ASM in August of 2013. He graduated from the Capital Community College Paramedic program. Jared has volunteered for the Bolton Volunteer Fire Department and worked in the Intensive Care Unit in Manchester Memorial Hospital.
As with all precepting phases at ASM, Jared’s final approval came from Eastern Connecticut Health Network after shadowing him and his preceptors in the field as they responded to emergency calls.
On behalf of the ASM Family, we would like to wish Jared the best of luck and say we are very proud to have such skilled professionals on staff.
MANCHESTER — On May 24, 2016 ASM’s Billy Schnepp and Brian Langan attended a Health Fair at Manchester High School to talk to students about about emergency medical services as a health-related career and the role of Paramedics and EMTs during medical emergencies and within the health system.
SOMERS — During early May 2016, ASM Paramedic Billy Schnepp and his partner Brian Langan responded to a medical call in Somers, CT. The EKG was indicative of a STEMI and Billy wirelessly transmitted the 12-lead EKG to UConn Health in Farmington, activating their cardiac catherization lab from the field. (#16-33635).
Per UConn Health:
A 12-lead ECG revealed a high lateral STEMI. Schnepp consulted with medical control for destination due to patient’s requested choice of PCI center, and received permission to transport to UCONN John Dempsey Hospital. Due to concern for potential patient deterioration, Schnepp received intercept help from Windsor EMS paramedic Wayne Cabral.
Schnepp called in a STEMI Alert from 33 minutes out. When they arrived at the hospital, thanks to the early notification, the patient was taken directly to the cardiac cath lab on the EMS stretcher where Dr. Michael Azrin and team found a 100% acute thrombic occlusion of the patient’s mid left Anterior Descending Artery (LAD), which was successfully cleared and stented, restoring perfusion. The patient is doing well, thanks to the great job by the EMS/Hospital STEMI team!
19 Minute Door to Balloon. 71 Minute First Medical Contact to Balloon
ED Team: Paul Kaloudis, MD, Leslie Mulhall, RN
Cardiology/Cath Lab Team—Dr. Christopher Pickett, Dr. Michael Azrin, Dr. Nelson Chavarria, Elizabeth Drotar,
R.N., Patricia. Weigle, R.N. , Patty Fagan, R.N., Shelia LaFleur, R.N.
MANCHESTER — On April 29, 2016 ASM’s Ryan Bochman and Cody Lemire attended Bowers Elementary School 3rd Annual Career Day to talk to the children about ambulances, Paramedics and EMTs, and medical emergencies.
