MANCHESTER — Interested in attending the Carolyn Edwards Foundation BBQ this Sunday, July 20th?
Buy your tickets online by clicking here…
Or, see one of the following ASM employees for tickets:
Vinnie Maston
Kenya Russell
Nick Raiola
Beth Sheils
Heather Carl
“The crew was professional and caring” read the initial Patient Satisfaction Survey. The patient’s wife went much further, writing the following letter about her husband’s long distance ambulance transport:
We were very thankful that we had chosen Aetna Ambulance for my husband Dave’s transport from Hartford, CT to Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, NY. Joan set up the transport and answered all of our questions. She was most helpful and described exactly what we could expect for transport and arrival at our destination.
The ambulance crew arrived on time at my husband’s room. They carefully prepared him for transport and rolled [the stretcher down] to the ambulance. They made sure they had all his personal belongings and they also took wonderful care of me and our son. I rode in the ambulance and my son drove to Buffalo. Donna made sure he was comfortable for our trip. Melissa and Tom took over driving duties. They were excellent drivers and were very caring about Dave’s comfort.
Throughout the drive Donna talked to Dave and took care of all his needs. The trip was uneventful. The arrival at the hospital was smooth and Dave was delivered to the MRU floor of the hospital. Donna, Tom and Melissa could not have been nice to us or more caring to Dave, our son and me during our journey from Hartford, CT to Buffalo, NY.
Thank you.
Please give our thanks to Donna, Melissa and Tom and tell them that Dave is out of the hospital rehab and will be taking outpatient rehab. He is so improved and they were part of the process to bring him back to his recovered self.
(14-55717. Information above appears with patient permission)
Photo credit: @TollandAlert
By KELLY GLISTA and CHRISTINE DEMPSEY
The Hartford Courant
10:34 a.m. EDT, July 10, 2014
TOLLAND — LifeStar helicopters and several emergency crews were called to the scene of a serious crash on the eastbound side on I-84 Thursday morning, according to officials.
State police said the single-vehicle accident happened near exit 68. The eastbound side of I-84 remains closed as police investigate the crash, but the westbound lanes have been partially reopened.
The crash was reported about 8:40 a.m., Assistant Fire Chief Douglas Racicot said. The car was down an embankment, in the woods, and there were four victims, three of whom were reported to have been ejected from the vehicle, he said.
As of about 10:15 a.m., two patients were in critical condition, one was in serious condition and a fourth was being evaluated for less serious injuries at an area hospital.
The car was about 50 feet into the woods and plunged down a 40 foot drop, Racicot said.
Numerous police and fire officials responded to the scene as well as about seven ambulances. Both of the medical helicopters available in Connecticut were initially called to the scene and emergency crews requested a third out of Massachusetts.
Three paramedic ambulances were dispatched to the scene by the Ambulance Service of Manchester, a spokesman said.
Read the full Courant article here…
MANCHESTER and HARTFORD — Aetna Ambulance and ASM send Patient and Customer Satisfaction Surveys to a random sampling of patients who have received emergency or STAT inter-facility services from our companies.
The final question in the survey asks “Do you have any suggestions on how we can improve our service?” And, “Please use one word to describe us.”
Some of the answers/responses included:
MANCHESTER — Additions and renovations to the Ambulance Service of Manchester’s main headquarters, known to employees as “10-1,” continue. As of this writing:
The next steps are re-configuring the main call-taking office, finishing carpeting certain spaces, constructing the hands-on training area and adding the awning to the new entrance.
The addition and renovation are part of ASM’s continued commitment and investment in the towns it serves.
WINDHAM — ASM appeared in Willimantic’s 29th annual Boombox Parade on July 4, 2014 care of AEMT and Field Training Officer Stephanie Boutot. Stephanie has been insistent that ASM participate each year as she was in the very first Boom Box parade.
Somers firefighter Ray Stovall gets the business from his two young children, Ella, 4, and Nathan, 2, who can’t resist knocking off his cap, part of his formal uniform, Monday evening, June 30, 2014, outside the Somers firehouse. Moments earlier Stovall received the Medal of Valor for his part in rescuing a woman from a burning home last December in Somersville. (Jim Michaud / Journal Inquirer)
By Gayla M. Cawley
Journal Inquirer (Read the full article here)
SOMERS — The Somers Fire Department on Monday recognized one of its own and a firefighter from the Hazardville Fire Department in Enfield for their heroism in rescuing a woman from a burning building last December.
Somers firefighter Ray Stovall was on hand at the Fire Department on Main Street to receive his Medal of Valor and official citations from the General Assembly and his department, but Capt. Jaime Hurley of the Hazardville Fire Department was unable to attend as he was working.
First Selectwoman Lisa Pellegrini presented Stovall with the citation from the General Assembly, reading aloud some of it, which proclaimed, “You are a model firefighter and an inspiration to us all.”
Pellegrini told Stovall, “You are a hero.”
Somers Fire Chief Gary Schiessl presented Stovall with the Medal of Valor and a citation from the department for “entering a burning structure, rescuing the woman, and bringing her to safety.”
“There is no greater reward for firefighters than to save a life,” Schiessl said.
Somers Deputy Fire Chief Frank Falcone, Jr. also responded to the call that Wednesday morning on Dec. 4, 2013, at a multi-family residence at 61 Main St. He witnessed the lifesaving actions of Stovall and Hurley as they found the woman, Katie Colgan, 34, lying unconscious in her daughter’s second-floor bedroom and carried her outside to safety.
Falcone said the Medal of Valor was fitting and that the rescue was “truly a team effort.”
Stovall agreed, saying, “It was one of those days where everything worked. It’s one of the proudest moments of my career so far. To be able to save a life is definitely awesome.” (Read the full article here)
MANCHESTER –As of June 27, 2014, ASM’s Matt Tuttle has been cleared by Eastern Connecticut Health Network medical control for independent dispatch as a paramedic to the towns that ASM serves.
Matt’s preceptors were Paramedics Sue Allen and Don Hart. The full precepting phase can take ten to 12 weeks or more as the paramedic is prepped for the realities of the field. As with all precepting phases at ASM, Matt’s final approval came from Eastern Connecticut Health Network after shadowing Matt and his preceptor in the field as they responded to emergency calls.
Matt started at ASM as an EMT-Basic in 2006 and graduated from the Capital Community College Paramedic Program.
On behalf of the ASM Family, we would like to wish Matt the best of luck and say we are very proud to have such skilled professionals on staff.
MANCHESTER and HARTFORD — Aetna Ambulance and ASM send Patient and Customer Satisfaction Surveys to a random sampling of patients who have received emergency or STAT inter-facility services from our companies.
The final question in the survey asks “Do you have any suggestions on how we can improve our service?” And, “Please use one word to describe us.”
Some of the answers/responses included:
HARTFORD — A plaque commemorating Aetna Ambulance and the company’s founding family, the Grady’s, was unveiled at a June 11, 2014 ceremony at Hartford Hospital’s Emergency Department. The plaque hangs in the ambulance triage area.
Remarks thanking the Grady Family and Aetna Ambulance for their contribution to EMS in the area were made by Chief Emergency Physician Dr. Jeff Finkelstein. Ms. Diane Evans, the daughter of Howard and Ethel Grady, was on hand to represent the family and accept the plaque. Photos and light refreshments followed.
Learn more about the history of Aetna Ambulance and the Grady family here…
Read the original Fox CT story here…
LOUISA MOLLER — Fox CT
A paralyzed Connecticut man was given a special gift Monday by a generous ambulance company. Frank Foster was transported from New Britain to Danbury by the Ambulance Service of Manchester to see his only son graduate from Bethel High School.
“None of us expected this. If it wasn’t for my friends at the ambulance company, it wouldn’t have happened,” Foster said.
Foster has spent most of his time in hospitals since a devastating incident a few years ago. He suffered from an aortic aneurism resulting in a spinal cord injury.
“I was in my living room and all the sudden, I dropped to the floor. Luckily my phone was next to me,” Foster said.
He had discussed his son Paul’s graduation with ASM employees but did not learn that the company was transporting him, free of charge, until a few months later.
“Surprise is an understatement,” Foster said. Read more from Fox 61 here…
Thanks so much to Hospital for Special Care and to everyone who was able to make this happen. A special thanks to Rachel Buechele and Matt Tuttle who worked with the patient to come up with the idea .
Additional media coverage of the above story can be found here:
Hospital-Bound Dad Gets to See Son’s High School Graduation – NBC Connecticut
Bedridden Bethel father able to see son graduate – WFSB
Bethel father gets ambulance ride to son’s graduation – News Times of Danbury
Patient information was used with express, written permission.
MANCHESTER — On June 19, 2014, four EMTs were added to the ASM team. As part of our continued growth ASM and Aetna seek out only the best candidates. We look for employees who are focused on high-quality patient care, are team oriented and conduct themselves in a professional manner. During the orientation, employees learn about company philosophy and goals, quality assurance, and policies and procedures.
Justin Duval: FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Justin Duval and I am 31 years old. I live in Ashford, CT with my wife and two awesome boys. We have a 110 pound German shepherd babysitter named Major. I am certified at the level of Firefighter II and Wildland Firefighter Type 2. I have been a volunteer firefighter with the Ashford Volunteer Fire Department for five years now. My experience there has given me a passion for the EMS field. I have been an automotive mechanic for the past twelve years and I am ready to pursue a career in something that I enjoy doing and that makes me happy. I feel honored to be chosen for this position and look forward to my new career at ASM.
Carolyn Judge: FULL TIME, EMT. Hi I’m Carolyn and I’m from Weston, CT. I graduated from UConn with a degree in Biological Sciences and subsequently became an EMT. I’ve been living in Newington for about a year and volunteering with Newington Volunteer Ambulance. In my free time I enjoy outdoor sports in particular trail running and backpacking. I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of ASM!
Laura McHugh: FULL TIME, EMT. My name is Laura McHugh and I am 23 years old. I grew up in East Windsor, but currently reside in Vernon, CT. I graduated high school in 2008 at EWHS, then attended Ridely Lowell for Medical Assistant. The summer of 2013 I studied for my EMT-B certification at CPR Training Professionals while working at JMH in the Emergency Department. In my free time I enjoy running, hiking, reading, spending time with my family and traveling. I am also a huge New England Patriots fan. I’m excited to begin my career at ASM while serving the community.
Jovany Rosado: FULL TIME, EMT. Well I’m a country bumpkin raised on a pig farm on a tropical island. I’m an easy going gear-head that just loves humanity and firmly believes in that an ounce of honest heartfelt kindness will stop a tsunami of negativity and hatred. I’m a loving husband and father to a three month old baby girl and a 13 going 30 young man whom I swear wants me to get hit by a meteor. As a gear head and an overall science enthusiast I love to tinker, modify, tear things apart and poke about it, whatever it may be. I however am not a hopeless and unreasonable romantic. We live in the REAL world where sometimes bad things happen to good and bad people. Where accidents happen and people do terrible things to themselves and sadly to others. I believe without a doubt that I can somehow in this giant equation of life, I can, with my tiny number, make a significant difference. I’m a liver and lover of life. I believe that life is too short as it is without negative circumstances prevailing. As an EMT-B with his eyes on Paramedic school, I might be able to provide some time of precious life to those who I can extent of my abilities to.