1

This Week:

Budget Update

from Joe Penner 2

March Call Volume

Stats 3

ROSC Employee

Recognition 4

Save the Dates 5

A True Survivor 6

Scholarship

Deadline 7

Training Schedule 8

Medic Calendar 8

News From The Front Line April 19, 2010

The MEDIC Dispatch

Mecklenburg

EMS

Agency

Dates to

Remember:

April 19th

CPR Training

1300-1700

Recertification Testing

April 20th

April InService

1800-2200

April 22nd

April InService

1200-1600

CPR Training

1800-2200

April 23rd

April InService

0800-1200

Medic Receives 3rd EMD Accreditation!

The Dispatch is proud to announce that Medic has just received its third EMD Accreditation!

In fact, Medic’s EMD Re-Accreditation announcement is so late-breaking that the actual

certificate has not yet arrived to our facility.

The process to receive the EMD Re-Accreditation is extremely rigorous as Agency officials

must submit numerous materials as requested by the National Academy of Emergency Dispatch

as part of their application. The requested materials are referred to as “The 20 Points of

Accreditation” and it looks for specific involvement, protocols and procedures as it relates to

Emergency Medical Dispatch across the country. Some of the major highlights of the 20 Points

of Accreditation are:

Making sure the Agency is up-to-date on its each of its certifications

Evaluating the QI process

Making sure that standards are met with compliance to protocol

Making sure that Medic’s Continuing Education meets certain criteria

Confirming the Medical Director’s Involvement

As part of the re-accreditation process, Medic must submit recordings and reviews of 25 CMED

calls in the form of Wav (audio files) to ensure the Agency is consistent in the way it scores its

calls. These calls are selected from more than 500 calls CMED’s QI team listen to per month

and are in line with Agency’s Automated Scoring Standards.

Agencies seeking re-accreditation must also

submit their application for peer review by

other Accredited Centers of Excellence (ACE).

Medic’s application was well-received as noted

from the peer review comments of an ACE in

Ontario, Canada, “I am very impressed with

the quality of the ED-Qs reviews. They should

be commended for their hard work. The EMDs

of Mecklenburg EMS do a wonderful job of

serving their community.”

Medic also received its 2nd EFD Re-Accreditation on October 27th, 2009.

Please be sure to congratulate members of both CMED and CMED-QI on their all their hard

work and attention to detail. Their efforts continue to secure Medic’s status as one of the

leading EMS Agencies in North Carolina and the Southeast!

Medic’s 2009—2012 EFD Re-Accreditation Certificate

2

Paramedic Study: IV vs. IO during cardiac arrest

Medic has been approved to conduct a vascular access study in Mecklenburg County. The study is expected to last 4-5 months and will be conducted to determine which method of venous access, IV or IO, is quicker to establish and more effective at fluid administration during cardiac arrest.

The current Focused Cardiac Arrest Protocol will not change. At the beginning of each shift, Medic field crews will randomly select an envelope at the logistics window. This envelope will contain a card that specifies which vascular access method to use on the first attempt only. The card will state one of the following:

Tibial IO

Humeral IO

Peripheral IV

It may be useful to place this card in the cardiac arrest jump bag to remind you which method is to be used during the shift. If this first attempt fails, paramedics will proceed to tibial IO as per current protocol. Specific details as to the start date will be forthcoming. Thank you in advance for your participation in this study. Please contact Dr. Rosalyn Reades, Assistant Medical Director/EMS Fellow at rosalynr@medic911.com if you have any questions about the Paramedic Study.

Participation Needed: Paramedic Study

The Charlotte Observer recently updated their reports on City and County budget outlooks for the coming year. The article

last Thursday reviewed the budget from the City Manager and notes it includes pay raises for city employees.

Last Friday’s front page article commented on the County’s financial outlook, the budget process and the decision to not

raise taxes.

We continue the budget process and negotiations for the upcoming fiscal year, and I wanted to share some thoughts:

The City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Government operate on two completely separate budgets and

have responsibilities for different services.

Medic is a County funded Agency; City budget decisions do not directly affect this Agency.

We continue working with the County Manager’s office to finalize the County funded portion of Medic’s budget.

Final budget decisions will not be known until June.

We remain 100% committed to retaining staff here at Medic – And despite the general discussion in the media

about county layoffs this coming fiscal year, no layoffs are on the table here at Medic.

We do not yet know if there will be raises at any County funded Agency, including Medic.

As you see or hear other budget news and if you have any questions or concerns about the impact to Medic, e-mail Jeff

Keith at jkeith@medic911.com or me at jpenner@medic911.com and we’ll do our best to get the information back out to

you. It will also help us in shaping information for the budget updates during the budget season.

I hope this level of communication helps keep everyone at ease regarding our specific situation here at Medic. You do very

meaningful work in this community and I’m very proud to be a part of Medic with you. Thank you for doing your part!

—Joe Penner

Budget Update from Joe Penner

3

Medic will host its “Medic Store” as part of its EMS Week festivities during the week of May

17th—21st.

During this time, employees can select to purchase both new and currently in-stock items.

Medic Store orders will taken out in the Bay Area. Many different types of samples and sizes

will be on display for employees to try on and/or choose from. The list of featured items will

include: hats (adjustable and fitted), polo shirts, t-shirts, jackets, pens, duffle bags, lunchboxes

and much more, all complete with the Medic logo!

If you are planning to purchase from the Medic Store during EMS Week, please be reminded

that employees are no longer able to have the items deducted from their payroll. Cash or check will be the only

acceptable forms of payment.

We hope to see you at the Medic Store during EMS Week. Stay tuned to the Dispatch for more details including specific

Medic Store dates and times. If you have any questions, please contact Kristin Young at kristiny@medic911.com or ext.

6165 or Nikkie Perry at nikkiep@medic911.com or ext. 6178 in the PR department. Thanks!

Coming Soon: Medic Store Open House!

Last month proved to be a very busy and intense time for Medic. Two new records were set in March, the total call volume

for Non-Emergency Transports (1,168) and the total number of transports (6,737)! The Medic Dispatch would like

to thank all of our talented EMTs, Paramedics and Telecommunicators for continuing to provide excellent patient care while

operating in a record-setting environment.

To view all of the stats for the month of March, please visit www.medic911.com/about_medic/response_data. Way to go!

March Call Volume Stats

Priority 1 Call Volume137616%

Priority 2 Call Volume491457%

Priority 3 Call Volume107613%

# NET Calls116814%

March 2010 Call Volume

4

Below are the list of employees (including CMED and Field) who have been identified, using reports generated through

ePCR, as having been involved an ROSC. If you did not receive an invitation but you are positive you contributed to a

successful ROSC during calendar year 2009, please contact Jeff Keith in the PR department. You will need to provide

information that can help us locate a PCR to support your claim so we can confirm your concern. We are more than

happy to check into any employee’s concern as we want to be sure that no one is missed.

ROSC Employee Recognition

Andrew Berger Jorge Figueroa Megan Lee Brent Testerman

Ronisha Black John Fisher Malcolm Leirmoe Vincent Thompson

Jay Black Amanda Flemming Steven Lennartz Barry Thornton

Johnathon Bobbitt David Garber Emily Little Courtney Todd

Andrew Boris Robin Geck Jim Lockard Jarrin Tucker

Nina Bost Daniel Geis Jay Lyons Richard Uhlich

Keisha Boyer Michael Gilmore Karim Mahmond Sarah Walsh

Angela Breedan-Alverez Ralph Giuliano John Marlowe Janice Ward

Veronica Brittain Jeffery Glenn Kimberly Marlowe Matthew West

Amber Brock Renee Goldfarb John Marsh Jennifer White

Kenneth Phillips

Stephanie Pike

Katherine Pike

Chris Pinto

Jim Putman

Robert Ramsey

Asa Rhinehart

Kristi Rhinehart

Adamo Riascos

Gary Richardson

Jacob Brod Chateau Grace Christopher Mauldin Michael Rider Troy White

Verna Brooks Robert Graf Shelly McAbee Beth Rimmer Jeff Williams

Gordon Brown Sanders Guignard Gabriel McGaha Shante Rivers Andy Williams

Thomas Burdette Charles Gunter Randy McKown Jeffery Roberts Jason Willis

Karen Burgos Bryan Hancock Michael Moore Derek Rogers Donnell Wilson

Dion Burleson Benjamin Harris Alexis Moose George Ross Scott Wilson

Michelle Caldwell Mark Hayes Virginia Mosher Megan Ruane Chad Wilson

Kevin Caldwell David Hewitt Jeremy Murphy Emil Ruiz Lisa Wilson

Matthew Campbell Charles Horne Kenneth Murray Bryan Runyan April Wilson

Mike Carter Elizabeth Howze Thomas Nagel Karen Sherard Joan Wisham

Edward Clay John Hunt Rhona Neilson Michael Sherriff Jesse Wolfram

Scott Climer Christy Iyoob Mitchell Neugebauer Christopher Simmons Pamela Wykle

Julia Barela Dustin Edwards Ray Kirby Brandy Pender Jennifer Strout

Sam Barnes Alan Elam Brian Kirschbaum Sam Pendlay Brad Sudz

Pamela Baskin Jim Emerson Donna Layton Jeffery Perkel Angela Suttle

Ryan Baxter Cheryl Eudy Effie Ledbetter Cory Pethel Trevor Taylor

Harley Conrad Pamela Jackson Daniel Nielson Thomas Slack Rebecca Zamagni-Mander

Jay Conroy Reza Jarrahizadeh Jim Norris Stacen Smith Christopher Zornow

Jacque Coulthard Jason Jeffares Chance Osborne Drew Smith

Christopher Alaimo Susan Davis Shawn Kersey Antonio Pattillo Richard Steinbroner

David Bailey Kimberly Dixon Morgan Kettles (Wyatt) Mark Peck Michael Stratton

Shannon Baker Mariann Earwood Hannah Kimbrell Christopher Peet John Stroup

Jason Crump Samuel Jones Keith Overcash Jerome Souza

Janine Curlee Doug Kennerly Robert Owens Laura Sowinski

Katherine Currin David Kennerly Patrick Pariso Gene Starnes

David D’Agostino Mark Kern Christy Parker Matthew Stegall

5

This Thursday, April 22nd will mark the 40th anniversary of World Earth Day. Earth Day was

first founded by then-U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin as an environmental teach-in

and is celebrated in many countries every year. Over 20 million Americans participated in the

first Earth Day which was held on April 22, 1970.

Participants in the first ever Earth Day organized massive coast-to-coast rallies, including

organized protests against the deterioration of the environment, oil spills, polluting factories and

power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, the loss of wilderness and the extinction of wildlife.

Worldwide recognition and participation in Earth Day has continued to grow over the years. A major boost was given to the

recycling and composting efforts during the Earth Day of 1990. That year, over 34 million tons of materials were recycled

and composted instead of being sent to landfills and incinerators.

The largest Earth Day to date occurred in 2007 when an estimated one billion people participating in the activities in

several major cities like Kiev, Ukraine; Caracas, Venezuela; Tuvalu; Manila, Philippines; Togo; Madrid, Spain; London; and

New York.

To participate in the 40th anniversary celebration of World Earth Day, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is

encouraging everyone to take part in their Pick 5: For the Environment campaign. This campaign is aimed at individuals picking

and committing to at least five actions that will help protect the environment. The campaign is available in both English and

Spanish. For more information about the Pick 5: For the Environment campaign or how you can participate in the 40th

anniversary celebration of World Earth Day, please visit www.epa.gov/pick5 or www.earthday.org/earthday2010.

Celebrating Earth Day: April 22nd

Please be sure to mark your calendars for these important, upcoming events:

Save the Dates

3rd Annual Go Red For Women Luncheon

Wednesday, May 12th

9:30 am—1:00 pm

Tickets: $100

The Ritz Carlton

201 E. Trade Street

Charlotte, NC 28202

For more information, call 704.208.5855 or

visit www.heart.org/charlottencgoredluncheon

National CPR Week, June 1-7, 2010

6

Liberty Mutual has a partnership with Medic to offer all employees a discount on your auto and

home insurance as a part of your employee benefits package.

In celebration of EMS Week, Liberty Mutual will be onsite Monday, May 17th

and Wednesday, May 19th from 2:30 pm—7:30 pm in the Bay Area

providing a FREE ice cream social to all Medic employees. Liberty Mutual will also host one drawing each day

for a $25 VISA gift card. Please stop by, enjoy some ice cream and your chance to win a gift card!

If you would like to receive a quote on your auto and /or home insurance, please be sure to bring a copy of

your current insurance coverage policy(s) during the above dates and times. Come and take advantage of this

great benefit offered by Medic!

We look forward to seeing everyone at the Medic Ice Cream Social, May 17th and 19th from 2:30 pm—7:30 pm!

We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Below are the InService dates for the month of April.

InService has returned its normal schedule of six sessions,

please be sure to register for one of the following dates

and times below. Pre-registration is required, no walk-ins

will be admitted. All employees must be in uniform and all

sessions will be held in the Medic Auditorium. Please be

sure to bring your HEPPA masks.

Tuesday, April 20th: 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 22nd: Noon – 4:00 p.m.

Friday, April 23rd: 8:00 a.m. – Noon

Monday, April 26th: 8:00 a.m. – Noon and

6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Wednesday, April 28th: 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

If you have any questions or to register for the April

InService, please contact Robin Pariso in Medical Services

at robinp@medic911.com or at ext. 6143. Thank you.

Congratulations to

EMT Effie Ledbetter

on her recent

successful surgery!

Effie underwent

surgery on Friday,

April 9th at

Presbyterian Main to

combat her second

bout with breast

cancer.

When asked how she

felt, the 30-year

veteran responded in

a triumphant voice, “I

feel great! I’m still a real ambulance woman. Just another

hurdle that I have to encounter.”

The always feisty, ever-compassionate Effie is preparing for

a second surgery, tomorrow, April 20th to ensure proper

healing and a speedy recovery. She will be out for a period

of 6-8 weeks for recovery.

Our thoughts and prayers will remain with Effie during this

time. We all are hopeful for a safe and speedy recovery. If

you wish to contact Effie during this time, you are more

than welcome to do so. Effie Ledbetter can be reached at

704.535.3167. Thank you.

April InService Dates A True Survivor

The lineup of topics to be presented is as follows:

HIPAA/Corporate Compliance Cristy Carroll (HR)

EMT/Paramedic Lecture Tim Brisbin (CPM)

*Endocrine System Emergencies

Simulation Follow-Up Medical Services

Risk/Safety/Fit Testing Kate Evans (HR)

(From left to right): EMTs Charles Rorie and Effie Ledbetter in Atlanta during the 2009

Gold Awards.

7

All Medic field crews are

reminded to please be sure that

all doors are locked securely

when exiting CFD stations.

Multiple incidents have been

reported of CFD personnel

finding previously locked doors

unlocked. Please be mindful that

it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that the doors of

the CFD stations are locked securely when leaving.

Thank you.

Please Be Sure to Lock the Door

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Emergency Services Scholarship

Fund awards undergraduate

scholarships to students seeking

employment in emergency services

professions. This includes studies in

emergency medical science,

emergency medical technician (“EMT”), registered nursing,

paramedics and firefighting services/fire science.

Scholarships range between $500—$1,500 and are paid

directly to the school for tuition, fees, books and supplies.

To be considered for the scholarship, applicants must apply

by next Tuesday, April 27th.

For more information on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Emergency Services Scholarship Fund, please visit

http://www.fftc.org/Page.aspx?pid=721 and click on the How

to Apply section.

Char-Meck EMS Scholarship Fund

It’s that time of year again! The 8th annual MAD (Medic

Ambulance Drivers) golf outing will take place on Tuesday,

May 11th . Please be sure to join us as we tee off in support

of a good cause. This year, we’re also throwing in a boxed

lunch at no extra charge!

The entry fee for this year’s tournament is $50/per person

(this covers expenses and raises money for our colleagues

in EMS).

When: Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

Registration begins at 11:00 am

Shot gun start at 12:00 pm

Where: Emerald Lake Golf

Course

9750 Tournament Drive

Matthews, NC 28104

For more information, please contact Tom Porcelli at

thomasp@medic911.com or 704.577.9087 or Doug Bell at

dougb@medic911.com or ext. 6386.

Dust Off Your Golf Clubs!

Spring 2010 has come in with a

bang! The change in season has

brought in warm weather,

longer days and several events

here at Medic that will be sure

to keep you entertained.

Here is the list of Medic’s Schedule of Events for this

spring:

Medic Events of Note

Medic Employee Recognition Events May 10th and 12th

MAD Golf Outing May 11th

EMS Week May 16th—22nd

8

Visit Us on the Web!

www.medic911.com

MEDIC Mecklenburg EMS Agency

4525 Statesville Road

Charlotte, NC 28269

Tel: 704-943-6000

Fax: 704-943-6001

April 2010 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 A 2B

3 B

4 B 5 A

6 A

7 B 8 B 9 A

CPR Training

1300 - 1700

Recertification Testing

10 A

Recertification

Testing

11 A 12 B

CPR Training

1300 - 1700

Recertification Testing

13 B

14 A

15 A

16 B

CPR Training

1300 - 1700

Recertification Testing

17 B

Recertification

Testing

18 B 19 A

CPR Training

1300 - 1700

Recertification Testing

20 A

April InService

1800 - 2200

21 B

22 B

CPR Training

1800 - 2200

April InService

1200 - 1600

23 A

April InService

0800 - 1200

24 A

25 A

26 B

April InService

0800 - 1200

April InService

1800 - 2200

27 B

28 A

April InService

1800 - 2200

29 A

CPR Training

1800 - 2200

30 B

In-Service

Training

Medic Events

Holidays

Recertification Testing

Medic Calendar 2010 Training Schedule

AHA Refresher Classes at Medic

CLASS TIME: 1300-1700 **except where otherwise noted

CPR

APRIL - 9, 12, 16, 19 / 22, 29 ** 1800-2200

JULY - 9, 12, 16, 19 / 22, 29 ** 1800-2200

OCT - 8, 11, 15, 18 / 21, 28 ** 1800-2200

PALS

MAY - 7, 10, 14, 17 = 1300-1700 / ** MAY 20, 27 1800-2200

AUG - 6, 9, 13, 16 = 1300-1700 / ** AUG 19, 26 1800-2200

NOV - 5, 8, 12, 15 = 1300-1700 / NO NIGHT CLASSES

ACLS

JUNE - 4, 7, 11, 14 = 1300-1700 / ** JUNE 17, 24 1800-2200

SEPT - 10, 13, 17, 20 = 1300-1700 / ** SEPT 23, 30 1800-2200

DEC - 3, 6, 10, 13 = 1300-1700 / NO NIGHT CLASSES

NC Scope of Practice Recertification

Testing

**YOU MUST RECERTIFY DURING YOUR TEST MONTH**

ALL CON ED must be up to date at time of testing.

To schedule a test appt date and time, email Robin Pariso at robinp@medic911.com

APRIL 9, 10, 12, 16, 17, 19 (Expiration Dates MAY – JULY 2010 )

JULY 9, 10, 12, 16, 17, 19 (Expiration Dates AUG – OCT 2010)

OCT 8, 9, 11, 15, 16, 18 (Expiration Dates NOV, DEC 2010, JAN 2011)

DEC 10, 11, 13, 17, 18, 20 (Expiration Dates FEB – APR 2011)

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL CLASSES. ALL CLASSES HELD IN MEDIC AUDITORIUM