David Werfel Presents Compliance with Medicare’s Ambulance Rules

Posted on April 23, 2013 by ASM-Aetna

(L to R): David Werfel and Aetna/ASM President and CEO Wayne Wright

MANCHESTER — On April 23, 2013, Aetna and ASM welcomed David Werfel, Esq. from Werfel & Werfel, PLLC. As our Medicare Compliance attorneys, David delivered their annual site visit.

As in years past, David presented proper and compliant documentation to the ambulance crews and dispatchers. Both David and his son Brian Werfel, Esq are nationally renowned experts in Medicare billing and compliance. They have authored numerous articles and manuals, including the Medicare Reference Manual for the American Ambulance Association.

In addition to reviewing EMS/Medicare documentation, they consistently share important points and evolving issues. David also spent time with the Billing Department and management team reviewing Ambulance Relief Extension, 2012 rates, Overpayment Rule, Lifetime Signature, proving medical need and other topics.

ASM Supports JMMC’s Home and Community – Celebrate Life Walk

Posted on April 19, 2013 by ASM-Aetna

JMMC Walk

Click here for more information…

Meet the Newest Members of the ASM Team: ASM Hires Five

Posted on April 3, 2013 by ASM-Aetna

MANCHESTER– On April 3, 2013, five full-time EMTs were added to the ASM 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.

Matthew Buerk: FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Matt Buerk, I’m 24 years old and was born and raised in East Hartford where I currently live. I initially obtained my EMT certification in Spring 2007, and I acquired a job at Hartford Hospital and have worked there as a Patient Care Associate for the last three years. I earned my EMT certification again over the summer of 2011. Since then I have volunteered at Glastonbury Volunteer Ambulance. I am currently enrolled in classes at Capital Community College where I intend on working towards my degree in Paramedic Studies. After completing my paramedic degree I intend on continuing my education and receiving a degree in nursing. Ultimately I plan to become a flight nurse. I enjoy, riding my motorcycle, hiking, camping, playing paintball with friends, learning about US history, and leisurely reading.

Kyle Caldwell: FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Kyle Caldwell, I am 24 years old and I am now a full time EMT. I got my certification in November 2012. I attended Coventry High School and graduated in 2007. From there I went on joined Coventry Fire Dept and got my Firefighter 1 and 2 certifications and left Coventry when I moved to East Windsor in December 2012. I am now a firefighter for Warehouse Point Fire Dept. I started my EMS career with Ellington Ambulance Corp. I am a huge Red Sox and Patriots fan and enjoy playing sports (baseball, basketball, and football) and going on hikes. In my spare time I have also been learning to play guitar. In the near future I hope to get my paramedic certification and further my career from there.

Ashley Cichy: FULL TIME, EMT. I’m 23 years old. I grew up in Montville, Connecticut and currently live in Vernon. I graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University in 2011 with my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. In March 2012, I enlisted in the National Guard and went to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri where I completed my basic training. It was very challenging, but definitely a valuable and life changing experience. I start officer training through the military this month and plan to branch into the medical field once it’s complete. I began my EMT course at the New Britain EMS Academy in September 2012. I’ve always had a passion for helping others and really enjoyed the class. I love learning and would like to pursue further education. In my free time, I like running, hiking, reading, listening to music, going to the beach and spending time with my family and friends. I am excited to begin working in this field and look forward to learning and growing.

Rory Davenport: FULL TIME, EMT. I am 22 years old. I have lived in the town of Andover my whole life. I went to RHAM high school and got an Associates of Science from Manchester Community College. I am part of the Andover Volunteer Fire Department where I am a Firefighter and EMT. I have been an EMT for almost 2 years, I love EMS and am very excited to start my full time career with ASM. I took my EMT class at ASM through Manchester Community College in the summer of 2011. I hope to eventually continue on to become a Paramedic. I have spent a lot of time hopping from odd job to odd job over the last few years with a few stronger jobs in between, all the while hoping to get a long lasting job as an EMT and I’m ecstatic that it finally happened. I know that nobody is perfect, but I take pride in what I do and whether it’s in a fire, or in the back of an ambulance I do the best I can and I am constantly learning ways to improve myself. In my free time I exercise, I am an avid gamer, and a comic book geek.

Renovation and Expansion of ASM’s “10-1”: Volume 2

Posted on March 26, 2013 by ASM-Aetna

MANCHESTER — Preparation for the renovation of space once occupied by Marcus Communications continues. Currently the construction crew is working on cutting through concrete and digging trenches to reroute the septic drainage system.

The new space is to be occupied primarily by operational and business functions of the Ambulance Service of Manchester as well, to a lesser degree, by those of Metro Wheelchair and some business functions of Aetna Ambulance Service.

The current plan is to have the main entrance be on the south side of the building with a main hallway through the center. The renovated space will likely include additional training and simulation areas, a relocated locker area, new offices, a medical supply staging area, and two new restrooms. The plans remain fluid. Trenches for septic drainage and rough-outs for the new bathrooms can be seen here:

: Water leveling the gravel base in a drainage trench

: Concrete blocks cut and removed to begin trench work in the bay

: Long line of cut marks from the pump to the current trench

: Long line of cut marks from the pump to the current trench

: Fork lift to remove large blocks from the trench through to Marcus side

: Old Marcus office stripped to the studs, trench in foreground

: Water flowing to level the gravel within the trench

: Trench, plumbing and drainage for new bathrooms

: Trench, plumbing and drainage for new bathrooms

Cleared for Independent Dispatch: ASM’s Ryan McConville Completes Precepting Phase

Posted on March 8, 2013 by ASM-Aetna

Ryan McConville - Ambulance Service of Manchester, LLC. MANCHESTER – As of March 8, 2013, ASM’s Ryan McConville has been cleared by Eastern Connecticut Health Network medical control for independent dispatch as a paramedic to the towns that ASM serves.

Ryan’s preceptors were Supervisor-Paramedics Bob O’Neil and Melissa Osborne. The full precepting phase can take ten to 12 weeks or more as the paramedic is prepped for the realities of the field. As with all precepting phases at ASM, Ryan’s final approval came from Eastern Connecticut Health Network after shadowing Ryan and his preceptor in the field as they responded to emergency calls.

Ryan started at ASM as an EMT Basic, obtained a certification in and

Ryan McConville - Ambulance Service of Manchester, LLC.

(L to R): Ryan McConville, ECHN’s Nancy Brunet, Melissa Osborne.

worked as an EMT Intermediate and obtained his paramedic training at Capital Community College.

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

Renovation and Expansion of ASM’s “10-1”: Volume 1

Posted on February 22, 2013 by ASM-Aetna

MANCHESTER — As of February 2013 Marcus Communications has moved from their long time home at 275 New State Road to 33 Mitchell Drive in Manchester’s Industrial Park. This move allows the Ambulance Service of Manchester to continue to grow the main company office and headquarters (known as 10-1) into the space Marcus once occupied.

Final purposes and uses for the all of the renovated space are still being decided but current plans call for additional training space, expanded offices, a medical supply and deployment area, new restrooms and a reconfigured main entrance. Below are some ‘Before’ pictures and future posts will show the progress of the construction.

Mr. Rosen Goes to Washington

Posted on February 15, 2013 by ASM-Aetna

Justin Rosen - Ambulance Service of Manchester ASM’s Justin Rosen Pursues Government Relations Career in Washington, D.C.

My name is Justin Rosen. I am a former Emergency Medical Technician and Field Training Officer with the Ambulance Service of Manchester (ASM). I recently left ASM to pursue a government relations career in Washington D.C. After four and half great years with ASM, the time was right for me to finally make the big move.

I joined the ASM team in the winter of 2008 while I was a student at the University of Connecticut. When I was first hired, I thought that working for ASM would be a part-time college job. After a few months, I realized that was not the case. ASM is a family of dedicated, intelligent, and caring people. Everyone from the CEO on down to the road crews makes you feel welcome as soon as you walk in the door. After graduating, I knew that working at ASM would always be much more than a career.

As an emergency worker, we would arrive in people’s lives during some of the worst times. Whether it was a medical emergency or a routine transfer, most people were never excited to enter an ambulance. I enjoyed these opportunities to help ease a patient’s anxiety and make a difference in their life.

After two years at ASM I was hired at the State Capitol and continued with Justin Rosen - Ambulance Service of Manchester ASM working evenings and weekends. My work with ASM was instrumental in honing my ability to help constituents and shape policy at the State Capitol. I had the unique ability to see socio-economic programs directly implemented in the greater Manchester area. From there I was able to provide prospective and advice on what worked and what didn’t.

Overall, there is no doubt in my mind that my time at ASM were some of the most positive and influential years of my life. I cannot thank the ASM team enough for the opportunity to have worked there.

ASM Responds: Winter Storm Charlotte

Posted on February 11, 2013 by ASM-Aetna

The Hartford Courant

By JESSE LEAVENWORTH, leavenworth@courant.com

MANCHESTER — Read the whole article here…Private ambulance providers had similar difficulties. Prevented from close access to many homes, medics had to carry patients, in some cases for 100 yards or more, through thigh-deep snow, Dave Skoczulek, spokesman for Ambulance Service of Manchester and Aetna Ambulance Service, said Monday.

Ambulances mired on roadsides and stuck in deep snow banks had to be pulled out with a four-wheel drive paramedic intercept vehicle. Total calls were less than normal, Skoczulek said, “but each call was typically more severe and took much, much more effort and much longer to complete.”

Ambulance Service of Manchester Mercedes Sprinter Ambulance At the height of the storm, a patient with chest pains had to be taken from Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. A physician arranged for a plow to escort the ambulance, and there were many other stories of plows paving the way for emergency medical personnel, Skoczulek said.

Another crew in a heavy ambulance equipped with tire chains could not make it over impassable roads with a critical care patient aboard, Skoczulek said. The crew got help from Manchester police and residents, who came over with shovels and snowblowers, he said. Eventually, a backhoe from Ansaldi Construction winched the ambulance back onto a cleared road surface, Skoczulek said.

Rockville High School Students Shadow EMS Providers at ASM

Posted on February 7, 2013 by ASM-Aetna

Rockville High School Job Shadow - Ambulance Service of Manchester MANCHESTER — Students from Rockville High School (RHS) spent the day “learning by doing” by riding-along with EMTs from the Ambulance Service of Manchester.

As part of an ongoing partnership, three Rockville Rams learned first-hand whether a career in medicine, or specifically a career in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is right for them. They were assigned to an EMT-Basic or EMT-Paramedic level Rockville High School Job Shadow - Ambulance Service of Manchester ambulance a five hour job shadow experience. During that time they toured the facility, were shown the ambulance and equipment and went on real 911 calls and inter-facility transports. Through this they witnessed the day-to-day activities of an EMT in commercial EMS.

EMS careers draw interest from young people who want and feel they need variation in their day-to-day. Often they do not know what they ultimately want to do but they are usually quite sure they do not want to work in a Rockville High School Job Shadow - Ambulance Service of Manchester static environment such as a cubicle. Often those who are looking for a career in medicine shadow in EMS to see the leading edge of the emergency care system.

One student was back for her second year and among another student’s goals for the day was to deliver a baby. Check back to see what happens!

ASM’s Alpha Five: Volume 5: The New Alpha Five

Posted on January 11, 2013 by ASM-Aetna

“Johnson Medic” transitioned into a 2012 Mercedes Sprinter Ambulance.

STAFFORD SPRINGS — As of January 11, 2013, the Johnson Medic, also known as Ambulance Service of Manchester’s (ASM) Alpha Five will be operating a brand new Mercedes Sprinter. The vehicle replaces the 2007 Ford that has been stationed at Johnson Memorial Medical Center for since it came into use.

The Mercedes Sprinter has many upgrades from the Ford, including LED interior and emergency lights, improved fuel economy, increased leg room, high visibility Battenburg and rear chevron markings, increased patient compartment headroom, ergonomic equipment mounting, sliding side entry and more.

Ambulance Service of Manchester: Johnson Memorial Medical Center - Stafford Springs, CT Alpha Five is the first Paramedic Unit at ASM to transition to a Mercedes and the last to have operated a Ford. All other Paramedic Units are operating Dodge Sprinters. To learn more about the Johnson Medic program, click here… Continue reading →

Checking Back Often? Subscribe to the Blog

Posted on January 9, 2013 by ASM-Aetna

Blog readers often tell themselves that they will “check back often.” There is an easier way. Keep up with Aetna and ASM events, partnerships and news by subscribing to the blog subscribe through the Entree RSS Feed, located near the bottom of the right side bar on the main blog page. Or, click on the following link: http://asm-aetna.com/blog/feed/

Subscribing simply entails receiving an email with each new blog post. Items are posted about 1-2 times per week and the emails do not include any advertising or other spam.

State Police Toy Drive to Benefit Connecticut Children’s Medical Center

Posted on December 12, 2012 by ASM-Aetna

CT State Police Aetna ASM Ambulance Toy Drive

Bolton Brownies Learn About the Role of EMS and the Ambulance

Posted on November 20, 2012 by ASM-Aetna

BOLTON, CT – Brownie Troops 10635 and 10636 in Bolton (about 40 second and third graders) are currently working on earning a First Aid Badge. One of the requirements is to speak with a First Responder and Troop Leaders expressed that the girls were really interested in seeing an ambulance.

“On behalf of Brownie Troops 10635 and 10636, I would like to thank you for your teams for their time. The girls really enjoyed asking questions and have gained a real appreciation for the responsibilities of First Responders. Thank you again.”

– Sue, Troop Leader

NOTE: Within the Town of Bolton, ASM responds to medical emergencies in conjunction and cooperation with Bolton Fire Department (BFD). ASM provides ambulance and paramedic services for requests that come in via the 911 system. BFD is the designated First Responder and provides all rescue and fire suppression services to the Town of Bolton. In the event of an emergency, always dial 911.