MANCHESTER- On Monday April 22nd, Ambulance Service of Manchester EMTs Esther Gibbs and Mikhail Udin fielded EMS related questions from 10 enthusiastic Cub Scouts (Troop 140) at Concordia Church. Manchester Police Department and Manchester Fire Rescue EMS attended the event as well.
Arbors of Hop Brook in Manchester hosted the “Wellness Services Showcase” this past Wednesday. Chelsea Heitman and Drew Hedburg stepped up and fielded questions from residents and local seniors. Over 25 organizations took part in this years’ event which focused on educating the community on services that are available locally.
SOUTH WINDSOR- On Saturday April 13th, 2019 Ambulance Service of Manchester’s Karisa Welch and Peter Chusid provided support during the “MAX challenge” 5K and Vendor Fair. The event was organized by the Town of South Windsor in an effort to raise money and awareness for the Healthy Habits Initiative.
HARTFORD — On April 1st, 2019, two Paramedics and three EMTs and 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.
Frank Duncan: FULL TIME, EMT. Hello, I’m Frank Duncan. After graduating from UConn in 2015, I spent a few years working as an Office Paraprofessional at WH Public Schools. I also had a passion for firefighting so I became a volunteer with the Town of Farmington where I gained my EMT-B certification. My goals are to expand my EMS experience while strengthening my skills as an EMT. I hope to attend paramedic school in the future as I work to become a career firefighter. I look forward to joining the Aetna team and I’m very excited for the opportunity ahead!
Nicole Valente: FULL TIME, PARAMEDIC. Hi, my name is Nicole. I just turned 30 and was born/raised in the south end of Hartford. I went to high school in Wethersfield and currently reside in Newington. I began my healthcare career as a volunteer EMT in Newington in 2012 and the ER at Windham Hospital as a tech while finishing my bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences at UConn (2016). I transferred to Hartford Hospital on the Cardiothoracic Surgery/LVAD floor (Bliss 9E) as a PCA in addition to working per diem as an EMT for AMR’s Hartford Division. I recently graduated from the Hartford Hospital (CESI) Paramedic Program. I am considering a future career in medicine as a Physician Assistant. For fun, I love to hike in the White Mountains and am always on a quest to find the hottest cuisine/chili peppers known to man. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve the community I grew up in as a Paramedic. I am honored to join the team at Aetna and to continue my relationship with Hartford Hospital.
Shelma Morales: FULLTIME, EMT. I enjoy watching horror movies, listening to music and being outdoors. I love to play sports, especially baseball and volleyball. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, currently live in New Britain. Lastly, I am a first generation college student and aspire to become a PA in the oncology/hematology specialty.
Anthony Fazzino. FULL TIME, PARAMEDIC. I am a proud graduate of Hartford Hospital’s Paramedic Program and excited to begin my career in EMS. I recently moved back to Connecticut after living in Hawaii for 4 years. My goal is to continue my education in order to earn my Bachelor’s degree. Outside of work, I enjoy hiking, traveling, and scuba diving. I look forward to being a part of Aetna Ambulance as I continue to improve as a paramedic.
Tyler Driscoll: FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Tyler Driscoll. I am from South Windsor and currently reside in Manchester. I have been working as an EMT in East Windsor for 5 years now, and I am excited to learn the Aetna ways and grow as an EMT. I look forward to working alongside some of the best providers in the area! Stay safe out there!
MANCHESTER- In early April, Ambulance Service of Manchester participated in the first annual Honor Wellness “Touch a Truck” event at Raymour & Flanigan. Honor Wellness provides counseling services for local first responders, corrections officers and military personnel.
MANCHESTER – As of March 29th 2019, ASM’s Michael Santiana has been cleared by Eastern Connecticut Health Network medical control for independent dispatch as a paramedic to the towns that ASM serves. Michael was hired at the Ambulance Service of Manchester in December 2017. He offered the following sentiment:
“I have been at ASM for a little over a year and am truly thrilled to advance towards the next chapter in my EMS career. I am eternally grateful for all the time both Tim Lachappelle and Bob O’Neil dedicated toward molding me into an advanced level provider. Their differing styles of practicing medicine helped me develop my own techniques as well as the ever-important ability to think critically while on scene. I’m excited to apply their teachings related to emergencies and high acuity transfers when I encounter them on my solo shifts. My precepting experience has been incredibly informative and I am excited that I am now cleared for independent dispatch.”
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- On March 28th, 2019 Ambulance Service of Manchester EMTs Themalina Nisyrios and Philip Zetterstrom attended Manchester High Schools Spring Career Fair. The team fielded questions related to job opportunities in the EMS field while interacting with students and staff. This year’s event was attended by over 30 local agencies and businesses.
MANCHESTER- In another joint effort with Manchester Fire-Rescue-EMS, Ambulance Service of Manchester has teamed up with the Board of Education to coordinate a free EMT class at the high school. ASM Education Supervisor, Melissa Osborne acts as the lead instructor with assistance from FD personnel. Following successful completion of the program, students involved will be eligible for certification at the EMT-Basic level. As part of the course syllabus, Melissa has organized a visit to Ambulance Service of Manchester’s Headquarters. There, the students will put their classroom knowledge to the test by utilizing ASM’s state of the art training facility. To read more about the MHS EMT Pilot Program, click here for a recent article by Journal Inquirer Reporter Emily Brindley.
In addition to the pilot, ASM partnered with Manchester High School’s Allied Health Program in 2017, providing 20+ students with “ride-along” shadowing opportunities. This program is on-going and provides all MHS students, even those not formally enrolled in an EMT program a chance to gain real world EMS experience.
Team ASM-AETNA will be participating in two large charity events in the coming months. The first, an American Red Cross Blood Drive, will be hosted at Ambulance Service of Manchester’s headquarters on New State Road on Wednesday May 1st, 2019. Employees, friends, family and community members are all encouraged to register.
Team ASM-Aetna is also returning to Hubbard Park on June 15th, 2019 for the Purple Stride Walk to End Pancreatic Cancer. Details on how to join our team will be avaiable in the coming weeks.
Year two fundraising for Team ASM-Aetna was a great success. Through the efforts of employees, family members, and friends, over $1,700 was raised for Brain Tumor Research. All proceeds were donated to the National Brain Tumor Society. Thank you to everyone involved for your generous contributions and dedication to the cause. Please enjoy pictures from the event below!
MANCHESTER- Ambulance Service of Manchester teams up with Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Manchester-Fire-Rescue-EMS, Manchester Police Department and Bully Breed Training for an upcoming women’s empowerment program. For more information, click here read to Hartford Courant Staff Writer Quoron Walker’s article. ASM will be hosting one of the four events at our home office on New State Road!
MANCHESTER – As of February 15th 2019, ASM’s Scott Harrington has been cleared by Eastern Connecticut Health Network medical control for independent dispatch as a paramedic to the towns that ASM serves. Scott was hired at the Ambulance Service of Manchester in June, 2016. He offered the following sentiment:
“I have been with ASM for just over two and a half years now and I feel that the time and experience with the department as an EMT has prepared me for the transition to my role as a Paramedic. The environment at ASM is very conducive to someone who wants to learn as much as possible. My preceptors, Scott Crittenden and Tim Lachappelle, are a wealth of knowledge and I was fortunate enough to see a variety of situations with each of them during my 12 weeks of precepting. Through their support, the support of my wife, family, friends, co-workers, and my instructors from the Greenfield Community College Paramedic Program, I feel I am as ready as I can be to take on the challenge of working as an independent Paramedic and to continue to learn each and every day.”
As with all precepting phases at ASM, Scott’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 Scott the best of luck and say we are very proud to have such skilled professionals on staff.
SOUTH WINDSOR – In early January, The Ambulance Service of Manchester received a hand written thank you note addressed to Paramedic David Pozniak and EMT Mike Sparks. The note, as depicted below, is in regards to a transport completed a few weeks prior.
The two guys were the best. They actually made me forget my pain. God Bless them! I’ve told everyone how good they were and I will highly recommend them.
MANCHESTER — On January 28th, 2019 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.
