Pulaski County EMS Director Nikki Lowry is still in need of paramedics for her department.
She told the commissioners this week that she is currently in the hiring process for staff. While she gets plenty of applications for basic life service, she needs to have advanced life service staff, which is required.
“It’s going great,” stated Mathewson. “When you have a committed staff of employees from the paramedics to the EMTs to the office staff and you’re on the same page to try to achieve the same goal of providing the best service around, great things can happen.”
Earlier in the week, words of praise were heard regarding the local EMS efforts in the successful transport of a five year old girl who had been struck by a television that fell from a dresser.
Paul Mathewson has shared another letter from the wife of a DeKalb, Illinois truck driver who was rescued after suffering a massive brain stem stroke while driving his semi.
“Because of your coordinated efforts, you were able to locate my husband and transport him to St. Joseph Medical Center in Plymouth for help. After being stabilized in the ER at St. Joseph’s, we were able to transport Steve via ambulance to our home hospital in Illinois. Following treatment he was released, and is currently in home rehab. Although we may never know who you are or see you in person please know that your efforts that morning went above and beyond in our minds and hearts. It is my prayer that God continue to bless each one of you and protect you daily as you continue to serve, and save the lives of others,” wrote Shari Dixon.
Her husband is currently making improvements daily and is able to walk with only a cane, recovered his ability to speak, see, and swallow and has recovered some use of his left arm.
Also assisting in finding her husband who was traveling on U.S. 30 near Grovertown on the morning of Jan. 7, was the Indiana State Police.
Driving a semi can be a risky profession when traveling alone, and struck by a life threatening ailment.
The transport was performed before the local EMS went to Advanced Life Service.
Starke County officials were brought up to date this week on the progress made by the EMS to attain Advanced Life Support Certification.
According to EMS Director Paul Mathewson, inspectors approved the rigs for Advanced Life Support care and gave their approval for certification.
Starke County EMS Director Paul Mathewson said the upgrade to Advanced Life Service, or ALS, is moving along. Crews have spent the last month getting equipment together.
“Our new truck came in so now we’re putting all of that together,” said Mathewson. “Really, we’re in the finalizing stages of finishing up this project so we can get the State down and clear it.”
Councilman David Pearman commented on the issue that when county begins making ALS runs, that is going to open up a new revenue source, but at the same time there will be more activity for the rigs. Pearman also noted that there are many municipalities that are privatizing their ambulance service, so there as some quality used rigs available if they can just be found.
Commissioner Dan Bridegroom said that the ambulances the county currently owns need to be thoroughly checked for issues, but it’s hard to take them out of service to do so. Another issue is that with the older rigs, parts are not always available.
A motion was made to seek the transfer of the money for the purchase of the new rig or two used ones by Commissioner Jennifer Davis. The motion was approved unanimously.
A Starke County Commissioner, Kathy Norem, who is the former CEO of Starke Memorial Hospital, now known as IU Health Starke Hospital, is in today with an update on a committee’s early efforts to evaluate the possibility of upgrading the county’s ambulance service to include paramedic service, also known as Advanced Life Service.
Does Starke County need to upgrade it’s ambulance service by adding Advanced Life Service? This is the second in a series we have been running this week on this topic.
As we told you yesterday, Starke County is one of only two counties in the state that does not offer Advanced Life Service to its citizens. Even though officials have heard that the service can be paid for by charging higher rates with the Advanced Life Service, it is probably going to cost approximately $250,000 to secure the services of licensed paramedics.
Kris Rannells has worked as a paramedic in the past before returning home to join the family funeral home business in Hamlet. He says the Basic Ambulance Service in Starke County is doing a good job.
“They’re doing the most with what they have, but you’re going to have a better chance of saving more lives and keeping medical situations from expanding into a much more problematic situation with a paramedic than you are with an EMT,” said Rannells. “They are able to give all kinds of different medications and do different things to keep those medical problems from exasperating themselves.”
Kris Rannells was a paramedic in Indianapolis. Ted Hayes asked him about life saving with this upgraded service.
“In the amount of years that I was a paramedic, I can’t necessarily tell you how many lives saved alone, let alone how many lives I saved as a paramedic that would not have been saved as an EMT. I guarantee you, I made a difference as a paramedic. I don’t know about daily, but definitely weekly that would not have been made if I was just an EMT.”
A committee looking into upgrading to Advanced Life Service will meet next with paramedics from other small counties that already have it in place.
A meeting was held last week to consider adding Advanced Life Service to Starke County’s ambulance system. Currently, Starke County is one of only two in the state that does not offer Advanced Life Service to its citizens.
Held at the IU Health-Starke Hospital, the meeting was presided over by former hospital CEO, and current Commissioner Kathy Norem. Kris Rannells is Advanced Life Service certified, and today and tomorrow he will help provide information about this potentially life saving service, and what it will mean to our citizens.
