SOUTH WINDSOR- On Saturday, September 19th ASM’s Elizabeth Dowdy and Jonathan Bush took part in a traditional “Raksha Bandhan” Festival held at South Windsor Fire Department’s Headquarters. Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu festival that celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters, and families, on the full moon of the Hindu month of Shravana. This festival originated when sisters used to tie a band around their brothers/ uncles wrists as a token of appreciation & love. Over a period, it has become an event to celebrate & recognize anyone working to keep society safe. Ambulance Service of Manchester would like to thank Saturday’s organizers for allowing us to participate in this amazing event.
Glastonbury — On August 13th, 2019 ASM Paramedic Adam Fine along with EMT’s Esther Gibbs and Danielle Kamenskiy visited KinderCare in Glastonbury for “Show and tell”. Adam, Esther and Danielle fielded questions from the eager group of 25 kids while giving tours of the ambulance. Children and teachers had a chance to listen to heartbeats, check O2 levels and talk on the loudspeaker. At the end of the tours the students received official Ambulance Service of Manchester stickers.
Ambulance Service of Manchester sends Patient and Customer Satisfaction Surveys to a random sampling of patients every month. The final part of the survey asks that the patient or family member use a word or phrase that describes the ambulance crew. Listed below are the words used to describe our amazing employees.
HARTFORD – As of July 15th, 2019, Wayne Buckley has been cleared by Hartford Hospital medical control for independent dispatch as a paramedic to the towns that Aetna serves. Wayne started at Aetna in August of 2018. His preceptor was Paramedic Amanda Kneipfer. Wayne offered the following sentiment:
“My name is Wayne Buckley, I was originally hired part time as an EMT-B at Aetna Ambulance Service. My roots began as an EMT with Rocky Hill Volunteer Ambulance Service where I spent a little over five years, as well as volunteering with Glastonbury’s Service. I Graduated from Hartford Hospitals Paramedic Program and recently finished my precepting phase of my education under the tutelage of Paramedic Amanda Kneipfer. I have known Amanda since before my time at Aetna and felt as a preceptor she was knowledgeable and enthusiastic when it came to pulling the best medicine out of her students. I am truly fortunate to have had Amanda as my preceptor and am looking forward to working with the wide variety of people at Aetna Ambulance as well as serving the Community.”
As with all precepting phases at Aetna, Wayne’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 Wayne the best of luck and say we are
very proud to have such skilled professionals on staff.
MANCHESTER – On July 30th,
2019, Ambulance Service of Manchester EMTs Sandra Parker and Christopher Sookram
provided support for the MARC, Inc “Summer Concert Series”. “Changes in
Latitude” headlined playing the music of Jimmy Buffett while the Main Pub
served up food to match the festive occasion. All proceeds from the concert
series benefit people with developmental disabilities in our community. The last concert of the summer will be July 30th so make
sure you stop down and support this amazing organization!
MANCHESTER- On Tuesday July 30, 2019, Ambulance Service of Manchester EMTs, Kayla Katt and Erica Clayton visited Manchester Early Learning Center (MELC). While on site, kids were able to climb on board ASM’s ambulance and explore the equipment as Kayla and Erica fielded questions from both the staff and children.
HARTFORD — On July 15th, 2019, seven EMTs and one dispatcher 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.
Matt Kaczynski: PART TIME, EMT. Hello! My name is Matt Kaczynski and I completed my EMT training last summer in New Britain. I will graduate from the University of Rhode Island in December with degrees in Cell & Molecular Biology and Spanish, with the ultimate goal of a career as a physician or physician assistant. I am very excited to apply both my education as a student and training as an EMT, and I look forward to working as a part of a team while learning even more in the medical field!
Kendall Sutton:FULL TIME, EMT. Hello! I’m Kendall Sutton, I was formerly a criminology student at Central Connecticut State University. During my time at CCSU, I worked as a security guard. It was there I found my desire to transition into the healthcare field. I most recently have worked as a patient care tech in Hartford. My ultimate goal is to return to school & study to be a chiropractor. In the more immediate future, I’m looking to make the most of my experience in pre-hospital care & hopefully become an EMT-I. I’m thrilled & grateful to be continuing my healthcare journey with Aetna Ambulance.
Piper Skinner-: FULL TIME, EMT. Hello my name is Piper Skinner, I am a recent graduated of Wagner College in New York where I earned my BS in Chemistry with a concentration in Pre-Med. My future goal is to become a cardiac surgeon but before I go back to school, I want to see medicine from all sides which began with me volunteering in a hospital, working as a medical assistant at an urgent care and now being an EMT for Aetna.
Kellie Butterfield: FULLTIME, EMT. Hello! My name is Kellie Butterfield, I am 24 years old. I graduated from Western Connecticut State University with a degree in Criminal Justice. Once I was out of school I was not sure what I wanted to do. A few of my friends were EMTs and I thought to myself, “Hey I could do that”. I signed up for class and the rest is history. I have been an EMT for about a year now down in Norwich. I know I am still new and have a lot to learn, but so far I love the job. All I wanted to do was help others and in this career that is exactly what I get to do. I look forward to working at Aetna and meeting everyone!
Sara Karr:FULL TIME, EMT. Hello, my name is Sara Karr. I have just recently graduated with my Bachelor’s degree from Quinnipiac University. My future educational goal is to attend PA school and pursue a specialty in emergency medicine. In the past I have worked on the ambulance in Naugatuck and in the emergency department at Hartford Hospital. I am very excited to join the team here at Aetna!
Reyes Crispin: FULL TIME, EMT. Hello, my name is Reyes Crispin. I look forward to starting my career with Aetna Ambulance and my goal is to work towards becoming a paramedic. I look forward to meeting my new work family and begin this new adventure to be able to continue improving my Pt contact skill while continue working as EMT and bring the best of me to the Pt.
Alden Jasper: FULL TIME, EMT. Hello, I’m Alden Jasper. I attended Central Connecticut State University. I’m very excited to join the Aetna team. EMS workers do such an important job in the community. I look to getting some real life experience in the field before pursing paramedicine.
Molly Devanney of Highland Park Market surprised ASM road crews and office staff with ice cream on Thursday. Molly and other staff at Highland Park wanted to show their appreciation for First Responders. The timing was perfect with the temperatures hovering near 90 degrees for most of the week. ASM would like give our sincere thanks to Highland Park Market for all of their support at events held throughout the course of the year.
SOUTH WINDSOR- On Wednesday, July 10th, 2019, Ambulance Service of Manchester Paramedic Josh Conroy and EMTs Stacey Debarge, Justin Craig, and Ashley DeBisschop visited South Windsor Police Department’s Summer Youth Academy. The ASM crew worked alongside SWPD Officers to provide tours of both an ALS and BLS ambulance during a question and answer session with the students. Thank you to SWPD Officer Tina Roy and Corporal. Ben White for coordinating the event.
The New Britain Bee’s celebrated the Fourth of July by honoring First Responders Thursday night. The Bee’s provided ASM and Aetna with 50 free tickets to the 6:35pm game against the Somerset Patriots. Fans enjoyed food and Fireworks, as the two teams battled to a 0 – 0 tie.
MANCHESTER: Ambulance Service of Manchester Paramedic Robert Bilodeau and EMTs Sandra Parker and Amanda Larochelle received the following feedback from a patient satisfaction survey. “From the moment that the ASM crew entered my apartment, I knew I was in good hands. As they began to glean information, it was apparent that they were concerned and extremely professional. They assessed my condition rapidly and began treatment at once. They performed perfectly as a team and also alleviated my anxiety by explaining exactly what and why they were doing it. Once I was in the ambulance, the [crew] gave me anti-nausea medication which gave me immediate relief from discomfort, as well as, anxiety. I am confident it provided a certain level of relief to the ambulance crew as well. As proof of the team’s efficiency, my blood pressure markedly lowered from the time they arrived at my apartment to the time I arrived at the hospital. If you wish to share any or all of this story with the public, you have permission.”
HARTFORD – As of June 12th, 2019, Cole Ashker has been cleared by Hartford Hospital medical control for independent dispatch as a paramedic to the towns that Aetna serves. Cole started at Aetna in June of 2016. His preceptor was Paramedic Michael Bouley. Cole offered the following sentiment:
“I’ve worked with Aetna Ambulance as an EMT since 2016, and I just recently graduated from the New Britain EMS Paramedic Program. I had the pleasure of precepting with Mike Bouley, someone I consider not only a phenomenal medic, but a friend. We’ve had a lot highs and lows for these past 8 weeks, and I’ve certainly made my fair share of mistakes in that time. That being said, I wouldn’t have wanted to learn from anyone else. I can confidently say my future successes as an ALS provider will largely be due to his guidance and wisdom. I look forward to working side by side with him and all of Aetna’s exceptional paramedics.”
As with all precepting phases at Aetna, Cole’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 Cole the best of luck and say we are very proud to have such skilled professionals on staff.
HARTFORD – As of June 10th, 2019, Chris Johnston has been cleared by Hartford Hospital medical control for independent dispatch as a paramedic to the towns that Aetna serves. Chris started at Aetna in January of 2019. His preceptor was Paramedic Dan Hope. He offered the following sentiment:
“Chris began precepting in April 2019 and over a period of roughly 9 weeks, I am proud to see the incredible progress he has made leading up to earning his medical control. The precepting process for new paramedics is both challenging and tiresome but Chris kept a great attitude and willingness to learn throughout the entire process. I’m very proud of Chris and his accomplishment and I look forward to working alongside him throughout the weeks to come.”
As with all precepting phases at Aetna, Chris’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 Chris the best of luck and say we are very proud to have such skilled professionals on staff.
On Sunday, June 9th Aetna and ASM came together to compete in the 2019 “You’re Killing Me Smalls,” softball tournament. On this beautiful sunny day, players, friends and family enjoyed food, drinks and games while the teams battled it out. Highland Park Market graciously donated ice cream for both the players and the spectators. Aetna took the lead,winning the first two games, showing that they came to play. ASM fought back,winning the next two games, setting up a winner take all final game to determine the champion. In the end ASM defeated Aetna 20 – 13 and took the trophy home. The trophy will remain with ASM until next year’s games! All proceeds from the event will be donated to Pancreatic Cancer Research.
Message from ASM’s coach: I would first like to say thank you. Without the players, fans and management this would never have been possible. We were looking for good weather, we got that for sure. We asked for two good teams and what we got was two great teams. Everyone played their hearts out. I truly appreciate all the thanks received from everyone. A coach is nothing without great players so, I thank you again and I look forward to coaching in the future.
SOUTH WINDSOR- On Saturday June 1st, 2019 South Windsor Police Department, Masonic Lodge #88, and the Ambulance Service of Manchester teamed up to accept food and monetary donations at Geissler’s Supermarket and Stop & Shop of South Windsor. At the end of the day, over 2460 food items went on the shelves of the South Windsor Food and Fuel Bank along with $1478.43 in the collection box beating last year’s total.
