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Happy EMS Week! Each year, a week is set aside to provide special recognition to emergency medical service providers such as paramedics, EMTs, firefighters, first responders and police, paid and volunteer, who help provide our communities with skilled pre-hospital care in times of illness and injury. I sincerely appreciate the hard work and dedication of EmergyCare's more than 260 care providers who do their best each day to fulfill our life-saving mission with skill, kindness and compassion.
This week we are celebrating with special employee recognition, service awards, contests, food and festivities. As you will read, we're also giving back to improve the health and well-being of our region by donating automated external defibrillators to a church and school. These simple to use devices can make a world of difference for a patient in cardiac distress.
Thanks for your continued support.
Yours in health and safety,
Bill Hagerty
Executive Director |
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Two Warren locations received donated AEDs
On  May 17 EmergyCare donated Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to First United Methodist Church and St. Joseph School, both in our Warren service area. As a part of our EMS week celebrations, this is one small way to show our appreciation for the ongoing support of the Warren community while having a positive effect on the health and well-being of area residents.
It has been well documented that by-stander intervention with CPR and AEDs can improve survival outcomes for heart attack victims. These simple to use devices can restore blood circulation before emergency medical help arrives. Dr. Christopher Cammarata, EmergyCare's Medical Director, stated, "People think that everything will be okay because EMS responds so quickly and the hospital is only a few minutes away. This is true in many instances but in cardiac cases, every minute means heart muscle is being lost. If circulation is restored even a minute before EmergyCare arrives it improves the outcomes. Current research indicates that the use of AEDs before EMS arrival improves survival outcomes by up to 80%. That's powerful motivation for widespread availability and use of AEDs."
In addition to the AEDs, EmergyCare will offer free training on AED use to congregation members and school faculty. According to Todd Steele, Director of Operations, "While AEDs provide step-by-step written and audio instructions, people don't realize how simple they are to use. As a part of our life-saving mission, we work with communities to increase the number of AEDs in high-traffic, easily accessible areas and then follow through with training and awareness." |
Thank you Tour de West County sponsors
Many local companies have committed generous sponsorship dollars for the July 23, 2011 Tour de West County event. This family friendly bike tour is a fundraising event to generate critical support for our mission. Learn more or sign-up to participate at
www.emergycare.org/tour-de-west-county. In addition to riders, many volunteers will be needed. Contact Jennifer Farrar, Director of Development, at jfarrar@emergycare.org you'd like to spend the morning helping to make it a successful event.
Sponsors as of May 17, 2011:
First Niagara
Highmark
ThomEl Enterprises
Elderkin Law Firm
PAPA Advertising
Silk Screen Unlimited
Printing Concepts
Barabas Physical Therapy
Primary Care Partners
LECOM
Carter Lumber
Hydro-Pac, Inc.
Northshore Clinical Associates
King Cobra Karate
Allen Insurance Agency
Dr. Jay Moritz, Foot and Ankle Center of NW PA
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Facebook Helps  Spread Awareness
This week we've asked our more than 400 Facebook Fans to post a status update that includes EmergyCare! It's a way for individuals to share information about EmergyCare with their network of friends. Up for grabs is a $50 Country Fair gas card.
It's simple to participate. First, make sure you "Like" our page on Facebook. Then type a status update on your personal profile that tells people why you support EmergyCare, what EMS means to you, suggests they check out EmergyCare's page, etc. When you type the word EmergyCare in your status, precede it with the @ symbol (no space between @EmergyCare). This will automatically link your status to EmergyCare's page and help raise awareness of the importance of emergency medical services and EmergyCare's vital role in our region.
Get creative with your posts and be an ambassador for ensuring top-quality EMS in northwestern PA! |
Support our life-saving mission with a gift!
Patient Katherine Brown recently made a gift in honor of paramedic, David Nye. Ms. Brown commended Nye for his professionalism, skill and humor and stated, "I will never forget that moment of my life and how he made it bearable. It was really meaningful to have people I trusted."
Please consider joining Katherine as an EmergyCare donor. Your gift right now during EMS Week would be a show of support for EmergyCare and the importance of high-quality emergency care. Contributions help us fulfill our mission to the region and make a difference in the lives of our family, friends and neighbors each day.
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EMS Week Photos
Check our Facebook page for lots of photos of EMS Week festivities. Below, Jim Zavinski receives a 15 years of service award. Thank you Jim for being part of the EmergyCare team! |
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