Hamilton Health Care System continues to provide Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedic (EMTP) training at Hamilton University Base, 1275 Elkwood Drive. Classes begin Feb. 1 for EMT training, Feb. 2 for AEMT training and Feb. 7 for EMTP training. Courses are shift-friendly. Participants must progress through the certifications as follows: EMT, AEMT and then EMTP. All students are required to pass the course and the National Registry practical and written exam to become certified. Enrollment is now open for these programs. To learn more, visit HamiltonHealth.com/medicaleducation or email emsprogram@hhcs.org.
Hamilton Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) has received reaccreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services for its compliance with national standards of excellence. HEMS initially was certified in 2018.
Pictured are Hamilton Emergency Medical Services representatives. From left are Aaron Gaddis, Ryan Sparks, Natalie Williams, Wayne Saylors and Claudio Leyssens
HEMS is one of more than 180 ambulance services in the nation to successfully complete the voluntary review process, which includes completion of a comprehensive application and on-site review by national experts in emergency medical services (EMS). HEMS is one of only nine in Georgia to hold this certification.
The Commission is a non-profit organization that was established to encourage and promote quality patient care in America’s medical transportation system. The primary focus of the Commission’s standards is high-quality patient care. This is accomplished by establishing national standards which not only address the delivery of patient care, but also the ambulance service’s total operation and its relationships with other agencies, the general public, and the medical community. The Commission’s standards often exceed state or local licensing requirements.
“Our staff has been key to our successful completion of the process,” said Scott Radeker, HEMS director.
“Everyone here played a valuable role in our ability to meet the Commission’s high standards.”
CAAS accreditation is designed to help EMS agencies increase organizational performance and efficiency, increase clinical quality, and decrease risk and liability. Accreditation provides a template for making comprehensive organizational changes that improve the overall performance of the organization. An independent review validates that accredited agencies are adhering to the highest standards in the industry. HEMS is part of Hamilton Health Care System and the sole emergency medical transport service in Whitfield County. HEMS is designated by the state of Georgia as an Advanced Life Support service and responds to more than 15,000 9-1-1 calls and approximately 2,500 non-emergency transport calls per year.
Region 1 includes Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Dade, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Walker and Whitfield counties. HEMS also received the award in 1992, 1996 and 2005.
“HEMS has had the privilege of serving the citizens and visitors of Whitfield County since 1986, and for the past 33 years, we have taken pride in pursuing excellence and providing competent and compassionate patient care,” said Scott Radeker, director.
As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit corporation, HEMS reports to a voluntary Board of Trustees and provides performance-based reports to the Whitfield County Quality Review Committee (QRC) bi-monthly.
HEMS provides exclusive 911 coverage for Whitfield County under a performance contract and also fully supports neighboring counties with mutual-aid. HEMS responded to approximately 17,525 calls for 2018. The average response time for HEMS is seven minutes.
A system medical director is provided by HEMS for all emergency services in Whitfield County, including Dalton Fire Department, Whitfield County Fire – Rescue and Whitfield County E-911. This allows for an integrated, coordinated response to patient care, regardless of the agency.
HEMS provided 1,540 hours in community relations and event coverage in 2018. HEMS is proactive in educating the public including hands only CPR classes, stroke awareness, chest pain awareness and safety for children.
Obtaining full, three-year Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) accreditation in 2018, HEMS became Georgia’s eighth EMS service to attain this distinction and Georgia’s only hospital-based EMS service to achieve the accreditation.
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Hamilton Emergency Medical Services has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold Plus Award for implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks.
Every year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI),the deadliest type of heart attack caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication.
The Mission: Lifeline initiative provides tools, training and other resources to support heart attack care following protocols from the most recent evidence-based treatment guidelines. Mission: Lifeline’s EMS recognition program recognizes emergency medical services for their efforts in improving systems of care to rapidly identify suspected heart attack patients, promptly notify the medical center and trigger an early response from the awaiting hospital personnel.
“EMTs and paramedics play a vital part in the system of care for those who have heart attacks,” said Tim Henry, MD, chair of the Mission: Lifeline Acute Coronary Syndrome Subcommittee. “Since they often are the first medical point of contact, they can save precious minutes of treatment time by activating the emergency response system that alerts hospitals to an incoming heart attack patient. We applaud Hamilton Emergency Medical Services for achieving this award in following evidence-based guidelines in the treatment of people who have severe heart attacks.”
The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® program helps hospitals and emergency
medical services develop systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for acute coronary syndrome patients. The program works by mobilizing teams across the continuum of care to implement American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology clinical treatment guidelines.
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Hamilton Medical Center will host a stroke simulation event in front of Bradley Wellness Center from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, May 17.
“When it’s a stroke, every second counts,” said Meagan Darnell, Stroke Program coordinator. “Getting the right level of care quickly is extremely important.”
“Knowing the signs of stroke, how to prevent it, and how to help others around you, just might save a life,” Darnell said.
Hamilton EMS professionals participated in Career Day at two local high schools on Friday. Coahulla Creek High School hosted a Career Day through their FFA program. Many local companies were represented.
Lakeview Fort Oglethorpe High School’s Work Based Learning Program hosted a Career Day on Friday at the high school.
Coahulla Creek High School students listen as Lt. Randy Goodwin and EMT Hannah Dempsey of Hamilton EMS demonstrate how to insert a breathing tube. (L-R Garrett Kicklighter, Eli Chumley, Ben Brooker, and Coda Blackwell)
Captain Wendy Saylors of Hamilton EMS talks with LFO student, Jamie Bettington.
Lt. Zach Downs of Hamilton EMS talks with a LFO student at Career Day at the high school.
HEMS is using the RDS 3110, the only solution on the market to combine hands-free decontamination of facilities and vehicles with the ability to hand-spray equipment. Ambulances and equipment have been, and still are, cleaned after each call, but the new equipment allows for deeper disinfecting.
The RDS 3110 uses the AeroClave Process – an EPA-approved, hospital-grade disinfectant – to disinfect. The environmentally friendly disinfectant solution produces no harmful by-products for the environment, contains no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and is 100 percent biodegradable.
“The RDS 3110 is quick and effective at decontaminating,” said Lee Duman, HEMS captain. “It allows us to keep our patients and team members as safe as possible.”
HEMS received a state grant to purchase the unit by completing specialized infectious disease training. HEMS met the grant criteria by demonstrating the ability to set up and safely tear down for the transport of an Ebola patient.
“The training and the RDS 3110 will help with all infectious disease treatment and transport, not just with a possible Ebola outbreak,” said Duman.
Proven effective against many pathogens, the RDS 3110 kills germs that can spread MRSA, HIV-1, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Ebola, E. coli, Norovirus, H1N1, Salmonella, mold, mildew and more. “The solution is very effective at killing viruses and bacteria,” Duman said.
The RDS 3110 an environmentally friendly disinfectant solution that produces no harmful by-products for the environment, contains no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and is 100 percent biodegradable.