1

This Week:

Hospital Turn Times

4

Training Schedule 7

Medic Calendar 8

In-Service Dates 8

Patient Commendation

5

Incentive Shifts 2

On Monday, July 20th, Medic officially welcomed ten new employees into the field.

Over the past several weeks nine EMT’s and one paramedic have been testing their knowledge in the classroom and in the field with their FTOs. They have worked hard to learn Medic’s protocols and applied them to cases that they saw during their ride times.

All ten have now completed all tests, courses and certifications required to be a Medic employee. Already, they have hit the field on their first assigned Medic shifts.

Medic would like to officially welcome these ten new employees and congratulate them on successfully completing the EMT Academy! Below are the names of our new employees (as well as their FTO and shift assignment):

Bottom row - left to right: Karim Mahmond (Don Singer, FTO A39), Andrew Tinson (Jay Lyons, FTO B38), Christopher Somerset (George Ross, FTO A06), Angela Suttle (Trevor Taylor, FTO A22), Elizabeth Hill (Mike Stratton, FTO B23)

Top row - left to right: Jason Willis (David Phillips, FTO C11), Taylor Gibson (Kathy Houston, FTO B11), CB McCormick (Jesse Wolfram, FTO B32), Jim Putman (Michael Moore, FTO C24), Dale Cordice (Stacen Smith, FTO A20)

NEW DATE: Medic Blood Drive

Ten New Employees Hit the Streets

News From The Front Line July 20 - 24, 2009

The MEDIC Dispatch

Please note that the Medic Community Blood Drive has changed dates to better suit employees’ schedules. The Blood Drive will now take place on Wednesday, July 29th from 12 noon - 3 pm and will still be held at Post 100.

Employees interested in donating blood need to contact Kim Kuriger as soon as possible to reserve a spot (704.943.6100). Or you may sign up to donate blood at www.cbcc.us/donate and enter the sponsor code: MEDIC.

If you have any questions about the Medic Blood Drive, please contact Kim Kuriger.

Mecklenburg EMS

Agency

Dates to Remember:

July 27th INSERVICE

July 29th INSERVICE

NEW DATE July 29th

Medic Blood Drive

August 22nd Final Heart Walk

Team Needed

2

UPDATE: Incentive Shifts

Below are the Incentive Shifts being offered by Operations on both Saturday, July 25th and Sunday, July 26th. If you would like to sign up for a shift below, YOU MUST contact the scheduling department— 6234 or 6237.

If you have any questions about incentive shifts or scheduling, please contact Bryan Edwards - bryane@medic911.com or 6130.

CORRECTION: Kronos Article

In the pervious addition of the Dispatch in the article regarding Kronos, the points system was worded incorrectly. Please note that clocking out early will result in employees gaining ½ of a point, not loosing ½ of a point.

We wanted to clarify the points system for all employees so there wasn’t any confusion.

Remember, if you have any questions about Kronos, please contact the sched-uling department (6234) or Bryan Edwards (6130).

Thank you!

Don’t Forget to Visit Medic’s New Website!

www.medic911.com - Click on Medic Employees

Video News Coverage Update Weekly - Current Edition of The Pulse - Dispatch and Injections Archives

Saturday, July 25th

OTF: 0445 - 1515

C19: 0745 - 2145

OTF: 2045 - 0245

Sunday, July 26th

C19: 0745—2145

Are you still in interested in joining the Medic Heart Walk team? Well there are still open slots. Just log on to www.startcharlottenc.org and help Medic fight Heart Disease and Stroke!

Medic has teamed up with Mecklenburg County to help fight heart disease and stroke by participating in the 2009 Start! Charlotte Heart Walk. The Heart Walk will take place on Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 9 am with a 3 mile walk through

Uptown. The goal for Charlotte is set at $1,700,000 and Medic, along with the County, are looking to help the Charlotte American Heart Association reach their goal!

For more information on the Heart Walk - please contact Kristin Young in the Public Relations Department (kristiny@medic911.com or 6165).

ALL Interested employees should log on to the 2009 Start! Charlotte Heart Walk website to learn more about the walk itself and joining Medic’s team (www.startcharlottenc.org). Registration ENDS on August 22nd!!!

Be a par t of the Medic Heart Walk Team!

3

Medic Store Inventory Clearance

The Medic store needs to make room for new Fall merchandise. The PR department is holding a clearance sale for the remaining items which are listed below. If you are interested in purchasing an item, please contact Kristin Young in the Public Relations department (kristiny@medic911.com, 6165).

Please keep in mind that the store always has Medic t-shirts (navy, white, gray - $7.00) and Medic hats (adjustable - $10 and fitted - $12) for purchase at their regular prices. In addition, we will be ordering more of the Medic stylus pens field employees like to use - employees will be notified when they are in stock.

Below are the remaining items left to purchase in the Medic Store:

Volunteer Opportunity

Medical Services is looking for someone willing to serve as a “victim” during our annual radiological emergency response drill scheduled for Friday, August 7.

This drill evaluates Medic’s response to a patient contaminated with a radioactive material and is evaluated by an inspector with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The drill begins at 7:00 a.m. and should be concluded by lunch time. As a victim, you would be assessed by a Medic crew, packaged and transported to Carolinas Medical Center where you will be handed over to ED personnel. The exercise continues with ED staff being assessed by FEMA on their ability to manage a contaminated patient.

You would need to wear clothing that you don’t mind having cut off. If you are interested in assisting with this exercise, please e-mail Michael Stanford at Michaels@medic911.com.

Are you Looking for Medic Movie Tickets??

Contact either Miki (michellep@medic911.com) or

Pat (patriciav@medic911.com) -

or stop by the front desk during the hours of 8 am - 5 pm

MEDIC STORE

Do you need to purchase an item from the Medic Store?

Please contact Kristin in the Public Relations Depart-ment (kristiny@medic911.com or 6165)

or stop by her office during the hours of 8 am - 5 pm

Men's

Description Sizes

Blue Stripped Polo S (2)

Black Polo S

Tan Stripped Polo S, M

Red Stripped Polo S (2), M (2)

Black Stripped Polo S, M

Black Polo S, M

Tan Polo S

Brunt Orange Polo S, M

Deep Blue Oxford S

Gray Oxford S, XXL

Light Blue Oxford S, XXL

White Oxford S, M, XXL (2)

Women's

Description Sizes

Light Blue Polo S, M, L

Red Stripped Polo S, M

Bright Orange Polo S, XL

Black Stripped Polo M

Blue Stripped Polo M

Pink Polo XL, XXL

Purple Polo XL

White Polo XL, XXL Lavender Polo (V-neck)

XL

Light Green Polo XXL

Tan/Light Brown XXL

Pink Oxford S, 3XL (2)

White Oxford M, XL, 3XL (2)

Lavender Oxford M, L, 3XL (2)

Celery Mist Oxford M, XL, 3XL (2)

Light Blue Oxford 3XL

Deep Blue Oxford 3XL (2)

Description Size

Women’s

Clearance Pricing - 50% Off

Polo Shirts: $7.50

Oxfords: $7.50

*Note: There is only ONE of each item listed above - only available in the ONE size listed. If there is more than one item or more than one size, it is listed as well. If you have any questions, please contact Kristin Young in the PR Department (6165). Items will be sold on a first come, first serve basis.

4

Where do Your Hospita l Turn Times Rank?

Overview of July In-Service Continued from Last Edition: The headliner topic for July’s in service training for field personnel is the annual Radiological Emergency Response training provided by representatives from the McGuire Nuclear Power Station and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Office of Emergency Management.

Medic is unique in that we provide EMS to the only known city in the world that has two separate nuclear power stations (a total of four nuclear reactors) within 25 miles of the center of the community. Ordinarily, EMS systems that serve a community with one nuclear power station must complete this type of training every two years; since Medic has two separate nuclear power stations in the area, this Agency’s training requirement is annual.

This training is mandated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

This month’s in service will also focus on the transmission of ECG’s from the field to the hospital, which will be hosted by Steven Ward. The session will open with a brief Medic Update delivered by Executive Director Joe Penner or another member of Medic’s Leadership Team.

Please remember that the doors to the training room will be locked to all personnel precisely 5 minutes after a given session’s scheduled start time. All personnel are expected to be in uniform for this training.

A full schedule of this month’s in service sessions can be found on page 8 of this edition of The Medic Dispatch. Sign up sheets are out in the bay area and filling fast, so please be sure to reserve your slot in the training session of your choice.

IMPORANT UPDATE: 12-Lead ECG Strips: All copies of 12-lead ECG strips must be turned in to the OA for scanning at the completion of your shift until further notice. This applies to all instances where a monitor was applied to the patient – regardless of whether the electronic integration of

the 12-lead was successful. If you are having any difficulty integrating the 12-lead ECG between the monitor and the ePCR, please contact Steven Ward at (704) 943-6206 or stevenw@medic911.com.

Actual Photo of McGuire Nuclear Power Station located on Lake Norman in Mecklenburg County, operated by Duke Power

Each month Medic publishes hospital turn time averages for everyone who works in the field. The goal is to get out of the hospital and back on the grid in as short a pe-riod as possible while maintaining the level of patient care and reporting necessary. The goal is to average less than 35 minutes per hospital trip. Some things to remember: • Hospital turn times directly impact patient care and system status

• Extended turn times also come at the expense of your colleagues in the field, who are left to pick up the slack • Longer stays at the hospital lead to poor system coverage and undesirable post moves • Medic’s cumulative turn time average for June was 34:30 – which is good • The mark was hit as an Agency, but far too many people personally missed the mark by as many as 45 minutes • Keep track of your personal turn times each month and work at moving your personal average closer to 35 minutes • Your colleagues and patients are counting on you Do your best to expedite your turn around times at the hospital. Your patients and your teammates are counting on you.

5

Patient Commendation Highlight

Recently, we received a patient commendation for one of crews that responded to the scene of a cardiac arrest at the begin-ning of 2009. The field crew of Don Singer, Paramedic CC, and Andrew Davies, EMT, were deployed to a call for a cardiac ar-rest in the early morning hours in January. When dispatched, Singer and Davies were in close proximity to the address of the call. The crew had a fast response time and were the first unit on scene. Upon arrival they found their patient unresponsive and began with their cardiac arrest protocol. Before leaving the patient’s house they had a pulse back and before reaching the hospital the patient was breathing intermittently on her own.

At the end of June, Singer and Davies received a letter from their patient, thanking them both and letting them know how grateful she is to know that they responded so quickly and didn’t give up. In the letter, the patient responded to what her hus-

band said about that night and the crew; “You [Singer & Davies] responded very quickly. You were professional but also kind. You didn’t give up when I didn’t respond. You saved my life. He [the patient’s husband] cannot imagine having two more he-roic folks on the job. I repeat, you didn't give up. Thank you, thank you, thank you. That’s what you want when a loved one needs help: persistence”.

Congratulations to Singer and Davies on a great call and on their professional manner. This call will also be highlighted in the next edition of The Pulse. We will continue to highlight patient commendations in the Distpatch when we receive them. In addition, if you would like to highlight a recent call in the Dispatch, please contact Kristin Young in the Public Relations Department (kristiny@medic911.com, 6165).

Congratulations to all Medic employees who received commendations in June! Christopher Alaimo (3) Jason Davies Robert Kiser Cory Pethel Richard Steinbroner

Benjamin Astrike (2) Mariann Earwood Siobhan Klass Kenneth Phillips Joshua Stiller

Jeff Bailey (5) Alan Elam Randall Lauri Katherine Pike John Stroup, III

Shannon Baker Cheryl Eudy Nicholas Leary Stephanie Pike Bradley Sudz

Kariena Bernesser Jorge Figueroa Effie Ledbetter (2) Christopher Pipas Trevor Taylor

Keisha Boyer John Fisher Adriana Lever Brian Powell (2) Johnny Tompkins

Angela Breeden-Alvarez Kelly Flynn (2) Vashti Lynch Kenneth Richardson Richard Uhlich (3)

Steven Bridges Daniel Geis Kimberly Marlowe (2) Shante Rivers (2) Steven Vandeventer

Allison Brinzey John Gibson (2) Gabriel McGaha Jeffrey Roberts William Walton (2)

Verna Brooks Jeffrey Glenn Lee McGruder Toby Robinson Matthew West

David Brown Charles Gunter Randall McKown, Jr. Wayne Rosebrock (2) Troy White

Randall Burch Amy Hein Michael Moore Emil Ruiz Tonya Whitesides

Karen Burgos Katie Henderson Alexis Moose Nicholas Sheets Andrew Williams

Matthew Campbell David Hewitt (2) Eric Morrison Karen Sherard Colby Willison (2)

Anthony Carriker Serena Hopkins (2) Jeremy Murphy Michael Sherriff April Wilson

Debbie Cash Daniel Hueschen Kenneth Murray Donald Singer (3) Chad Wilson

Kimberly Cauble Christy Iyoob Thomas Nagel Brian Smith Scott Wilson

William Coble Jeffrey Jackson Chance Osborne Heather Smith Joan Wisham

Donald Creason, II Matthew Johnson (2) Karl Ottesen, III Stacen Smith William Worthey, III (5)

Jason Crump Catherine Jordan Jamal Peay Laura Sowinski Adrian Wright

Valencia Dantzler Kristi Kay Mark Peek Michael Stanford Daniel Yi (3)

Andrew Davies (2) Richard King Brandy Pender Gene Starnes (2) Christopher Zorrow

6

Healthy Weight : Message from ‘Nurse Kim’

BMI How to calculate your body mass index (BMI). This measurement takes both your weight and height into consideration. To get your BMI, follow these steps:

1) Multiply your weight x 703. 2) Divide the result by your height in inches. 3) Divide this number by your height in inches again. You are at a healthy weight if the final number is between 18.5 and 24.9. If the final number is 25 or higher, you should consider losing weight.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer

Interested in participating in the 2009 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer? The two day thirty-nine mile walk will take place on Saturday, October 24th and Sunday, October 25th.

Participants will walk up to 26.2 miles on Saturday and 13.1 miles on Sunday.

If you would like more information on the walk - or to register, volunteer or donate please visit www.avonwalk.org or call 1.888.488.WALK.

Announcements?

Stories from the Field?

Reminders?

Protocol Updates?

If you would like (or need) an article published in the Medic Dispatch, please feel free to

contact Jeff Keith (jeffk@medic911.com) and

Kristin Young (kristiny@medic911.com).

All articles/information must be received by 12 noon each

Wednesday before publication.

The Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act 2009 directed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to set up a program to make it easier for consumers to purchase an environmentally-friendly vehicle: The Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS).

• Issues a credit toward the purchase of a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle, when trade in is less fuel-efficient.

• $3500 or $4500 rebate (depends on type of vehicle)

• Trade in must be less than 25 years old

• Rebate is good for purchase or lease of new vehicles only

• Trade-in in must get 18 MPG or less, must be registered and insured for a full year preceding the trade-in.

• Don’t need a voucher

• Trade-in vehicle is required to be destroyed

• Program runs through November 1, 2009 or when the funds are exhausted.

For more information visit www.lgfcu.org or 888.732.8562 or contact Charvetta in Human Resources (charvettaf@medic911.com or 6089).

LGFCU: Car Allowance Rebate System

Human Resources and Benefit Information

Waist Measurement

If your BMI is elevated, the next step is to measure your waist. To do this, run a tape measure around your body at the level of your belly button. You may be at increased risk for health problems if you are:

- A man with a waist measurement greater than 40 in. (101.6 cm). - A woman with a waist measurement greater than 35 in. (88.9 cm).

Below is some important information on how to find out if your weight level is healthy:

7

Ten Questions for…Daniel Yi, EMT

3.How long have you been at Medic/ in EMS?

Less than 1 year

4.Who has been an inspiration to you?

My parents

5.What is your favorite movie?

Any Jackie Chan movie

6.What is your hidden talent?

I like to make homemade ice cream

2009 Training Schedule

AHA Refresher Classes at Medic CLASS TIME: 1300-1700 - **except where otherwise noted LOCATION: MEDIC AUDITORIUM CPR JULY 30 = 1800-2200 OCT 9, 12, 16, 19, OCT 22 & 29 = 1800-2200 PALS AUG 7, 10, 14, 17, AUG 20 & 27 = 1800-2200 NOV 6, 9, 13, 16 ACLS SEPT 4, 7, 11, 14, SEPT 17 & 24 = 1800-2200 DEC 4, 7, 11, 14

NC Scope of Practice Recertification Testing

EXP DATES OCT – DEC 2009

SEPT 18, 19, 21, 25, 26

EXP DATES JAN – MAR 2010

DEC 11, 12, 18, 19, 21

If you have any questions or to register for a class PLEASE contact the Education Coordinator at extension 6143.

1.Where are you from?

I’ve moved a lot, but I consider California my home.

2.Where did you go to school?

Diamond Randy High and University of California, San Diego

Congratulations to Brandy Pender! Brandy Pender has completed all her requirements to upgrade to a Paramedic.

Please join Medic in congratulating her on this accomplishment and on all her hard work!

A special thanks also goes out to Ed Clay for assisting Brandy through her upgrade process.

7.What do you like to do when you’re not at work?

Be with my family and go on the internet

8. If you could meet one per-son, dead or alive, who would it be?

C.S. Lewis

9. What is the last book you’ve read?

The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis

10.What are 5 things you can’t live without?

God, my wife, my son, ice cream, and video games

Want to be featured in ‘Ten Questions’? Email your answers to Kristin Young at

kristiny@medic911.com

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

8

Visit Us on the Web! www.medic911.com

2009 In-Ser vice Train ing

Continuing Education lectures have been scheduled from now through the end of July. Additional dates after July will be announced as soon as they are available.

Current plans call for a resumption of simulation rotations after the Labor Day holiday in September. All sessions will be held in the auditorium of MEDIC headquarters.

Sign up sheets are posted in the truck bay by the restock shelves. Sign up for all in-service sessions is mandatory.

JULY 2009

Friday, July 24: 8a – Noon

Monday, July 27: 8a – Noon and 6p – 10p

Wednesday, July 29: 6p – 10p

MEDIC Mecklenburg EMS Agency

4525 Statesville Road Charlotte, NC 28269

Tel: 704-943-6000 Fax: 704-943-6001

July 2009 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 B

2 B 3 A

Admin Offices

Closed

4 A

Independence Day

5 A 6 B 7 B 8 A 9 A 10 B

CPR refresher

1300 –1700

11 B

12 B 13 A

CPR refresher

1300 –1700

14 A 15 B 16 B 17 A

CPR refresher

1300 –1700

18 A

19 A 20 B

CPR refresher

1300 –1700

21 B

In-Service

1800—2200

22 A 23 A

In-Service

1200—1600

CPR refresher

1800—2200

24 B

In-Service

0800—1200

25 B

26 B 27 A

In-Service

0800—1200 and

1800—2200

Blood Drive

28 A 29 B

In-Service

1800—2200

30 B

CPR refresher

1800—2200

31 A

In-Service Blue

Training Red

Medic Events Green

Holidays Purple

Medic Calendar

ALL Employees MUST be in UNIFORM at the July 2009 In-Service Trainings. The trainings are mandated by FEMA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

FOR AN OVERVIEW OF THE JULY IN-SERVICE PLEASE SEE DISPATCH PAGE 4