Thousand Islands Rescue

By Cynthia Nelson, Administrative Specialist, River Hospital

 

Through a New York State Department of Health grant funding opportunity, Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, awarded to River Hospital; it was possible for the hospital to actively initiate efforts to improve networking with the local Emergency Medical Service affiliates. With coordinating participation from the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization, Fort Drum Medical Simulation Training Center and Jefferson County Emergency Medical Service (EMS), a hands-on training event was held on May 26, 2010 at the Simulation Training Center for the regional EMT’s, entitled “Battlefield Emergency Care: What can combat medicine teach us from the scene to the ER?”.  This training day was opened to Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence County area Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and emergency room physicians.   

The day consisted of classroom training topics including “The US Army Medical Department’s Contributions to Modern Medicine”, “Tactical Combat Casualty Care: Medics on the Battlefield”, and “Traumatic Brain Injury”.  

Following lunch at the Fort Drum Commons, attendees participated in hands –on training in the skill centers on the topics of “Care Under Fire”, “Tactical Field Care”, and “Evacuation”. 

This event filled to capacity and received very positive feedback.  It offered an opportunity not only for River Hospital’s Emergency Room personnel and regional EMS personnel to network with each other, but also provided an opportunity for them to network with Military Medics and compare similarities and differences of administering emergency medicine under the various conditions. 

This Department of Health grant work plan was written by River Hospital to include equipment purchases for EMS departments attending the training day from the River Hospital service area.  Drawing ideas from the simulated training, Cynthia Nelson, on behalf of River Hospital, was pleased to present Alexandria Bay Rescue Squad, Thousand Islands Emergency Rescue Service (TIERS) and Redwood Ambulance Squad with a SKEDCO Basic Rescue System, designed for rescues and evacuations form confined spaces and high angles, with patient protection and security in mind.  It is specially designed to slide under and around a patient, immobilize and secure the patient for easier movement to a stretcher.  

Click on each photo for a larger view and information.

In addition to the Basic Rescue System, Alexandria Bay Rescue received a SKEDCO flotation accessory for use in their Fire Boat, in the case of a water rescue, as well as a GPS unit for their rig.  River Hospital’s Emergency Department was able to purchase an EZ-IO System, which is used when it is difficult to access a sufficient vein for medication administration.

Through similar funding in 2009, River Hospital was able to provide TIERS Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) instruction to several individuals, most of whom were initial certifications. This instruction filled a need for the EMS providers and created the opportunity for them and River Hospital to establish greater rapport and understanding of the two separate entities.

River Hospital is pleased to have taken a leading role in this networking and training opportunity for health care providers involved in emergency services in our region.   Through this cooperative effort it is possible to provide this region with quality health care.

For more information, please call Cynthia Nelson at River Hospital at 482-1135 or email her at  cnelson@riverhospital.org