MANCHESTER — In April 2014 ASM’s Ted Oliver and Stephanie Boutot attended Bowers Elementary School Career Day to talk to the children about ambulances, Paramedics and EMTs, and medical emergencies.
The Career Day team wrote to ASM to say thank you. An excerpt reads, “Please accept our warmest thank you for volunteering your time to be a part of our Bowers School Career Day! The day was full of wonderful people like you, positive messages, and appreciative students and staff members.”
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 moving dispatch into its new home and re-configuring the main call-taking office.
The addition and renovation are part of ASM’s continued commitment and investment in the towns it serves.
MANCHESTER — On June 5, 2014 some 80 local residents received training in delivering CPR and operating AEDs during an Awareness Week training. The mass event was held at Mahoney Recreation Center in Manchester. Instructors were provided by ASM, Manchester’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), the town’s Health Department and Proactive Safety.
Sponsored by:
(L to R): Aetna’s Chris Nelson and HH’s Michael Zacchera.
HARTFORD – As of June 5, 2014 Aetna’s Chris Nelson has been cleared by Hartford Hospital medical control for independent dispatch as a paramedic to the towns that Aetna serves.
Chris’s preceptor was Kevin Stock. 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 Aetna, Chris’s final approval came from Hartford Hospital after shadowing Chris and his preceptor in the field as they responded to emergency calls.
Chris graduated from the New Haven Sponsor Hospital Paramedic Program.
On behalf of the Aetna Family, we would like to wish Chris 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:
Four children were on board this school bus when it was hit in the rear by a driver who fled the scene at Main and Center streets, police said. Officers later arrested a suspect. No one was seriously hurt. (Jesse Leavenworth/The Hartford Courant / June 3, 2014)
8:02 p.m. EDT, June 3, 2014
MANCHESTER — After ramming his car into the rear of a school bus Tuesday evening, a local man drove away and then tried to lie about the accident, police said.
No one was seriously hurt.
Allan Perry, 27, of Oak Street, was charged with various motor vehicle violations, including evading responsibility. Perry, who was not hurt, was being held Tuesday night at the police station, Lt. David Ellsworth said.
The accident happened at about 4:55 p.m. at Main and Center streets. The driver of a 2010 Chevrolet Impala hit the rear end of a school bus carrying eight children, ages 10-14, Ellsworth said. The children complained of bumped heads and headaches, but none required hospitalization, he said.
MANCHESTER — On May 13, 2014 ASM’s John Bonneau and Drew Hedberg responded alongside Manchester’s Eight District Fire Department for a 911 call. One to two weeks after the transport the patient was randomly selected to receive a Patient Satisfaction Report.
When asked to use or word or phrase to describe the crew the patient wrote: “Wonderful. Did their job well.”
She went on to write, “Your ASM team were wonderful, professional and caring. I was crying much of the time off and on from the onset to being in the hospital. The EMT with me was extra special. He made me comfortable, asked necessary questions in a most caring way, even asked me how my Mother’s Day was and told me about his. I highly recommend you company. ASM was represented by your team in a most positive way.”
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HARTFORD — On March 26, 2014 Aetna Ambulance’s Matt Campbell and Kevin Mathiau once again responded to a motor vehicle accident in Wethersfield, a scenario which landed them high praise in a survey in February. Some have begun to believe the two carry blank surveys on their person.
In this case, within two weeks the patient was randomly selected to receive a Patient Satisfaction Survey. The patient sent back a response with all clinical care boxes marked Agree or Strongly Agree and the following narrative:
Please use a word to describe us: “Competent, caring, professional, compassionate.”
“The person who cared for me, Matt, was exemplary. He was very caring and paid attention to my concerns and addressed them. He put my mind at ease in a situation that was tenuous. Being a nurse and knowing what could be happening to me made me very frightened and he made me feel like I could trust him and know it was ok. I hope he sees this and I hope he gets lauded for what he does. I know if did this for me he does this for others. And I know its hard to care for people in the medical profession. I hope I can thank him personally some day.”
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HARTFORD — On May 29, 2014, four EMTs were added to the Aetna team. As part of our continued growth Aetna and ASM 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.
David Jackson: My name is David Jackson and I am 22 years old. I graduated from the Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology in 2014. My goal is to go to medical school and to go into the field of emergency medicine. I took my EMT-Basic class in Bridgeport, CT in 2008 at the Bridgeport Hospital Emergency Medicine Institute. I started working in EMS at Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Services, however, when I moved to Boston, MA for college I began working for Boston University Emergency Medical Services. In my spare time I enjoy scuba diving and boating on the Long Island Sound and I am very excited to start to work towards my Dive Master certification this summer. I truly love emergency medicine in all its forms and I am very excited to be one of the newest additions to this amazing team and to have the opportunity to work in your community.
Eric Marandino: My name is Eric Marandino. After being self-employed for the past 15 years (in the dental industry) I was looking for a career change. I know many people who are, or were EMTS and they all said how much they enjoyed the job. I graduated EMT last summer through Hartford Hospital. I feel very fortunate to have been hired by Aetna Ambulance and look forward to starting my new career.
I have trained in martial arts for 30 years. After extensive training in Tae Kwon Do, Hap Ki Do, Boxing, American Kickboxing and Jeet Kune Do, I began training Brazilian Jiujitsu 10 years ago. I have been fortunate to be able to teach, train and compete a lot in the past five years. I will continue to train jiujitsu for the rest of my life. Some of my other interests include mountain biking, hiking, cooking, movies and working on my house. I am an avid reader and I try to always be reading a good book.
Andrew O’Laughlin: My name is Andrew O’Loughlin. I am 21 years old, and I am from Hebron Connecticut. I am a senior at UMASS Amherst, where I will be graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology this December. I work UMASS EMS while at school, and I am a volunteer EMT with the Fire Department in my hometown. I have a passion for patient care, and I look forward to working with the team at Aetna.
In my spare time I’m fairly active. I spend a lot of time weightlifting, running, hiking etc. You will see me at a lot of events like the Spartan Races and Tough Mudders. I have also done a few events with GORUCK. They focus on team building, for long hours (24+ for my most recent), under heavy weights. I also recently became a certified scuba diver, and plan on diving the local area this summer.
In the future I plan on continuing my education. My plan is to return to UMASS after graduation to complete a second bachelor’s in Nursing. I’m excited to expand my role in the healthcare field, but EMS will always by my passion. I intend on staying active within the field after I begin my career as a nurse.
Tony Mazzola: My name is Anthony Mazzola, but you can call me Tony. I am 21 years old. I received my EMT last summer and have been working for Newington Volunteer Ambulance for the past six months. Even though I am relatively new to this field, I have developed a passion for it and I feel as though I have a lot to gain from it. I have just recently graduated from Manchester Community College with an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice. I am going to be continuing my college career and pursue a Bachelor’s Degree at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU). I love working on cars, particularly, Volkswagens. Yes, I am a Volkswagen guy! I am very excited to be a part of the Aetna team and I look forward to meeting everyone!
(L to R): Hartford Hospital’s Mike Zacchera, Shannon Whalen and Jennifer Pasquale.
HARTFORD – As of May 17, 2014 Aetna’s Shannon Whalen has been cleared by Hartford Hospital medical control for independent dispatch as a paramedic to the towns that Aetna serves.
Shannon’s preceptor was Jennifer Pasquale. 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 Aetna, Shannon’s final approval came from Hartford Hospital after shadowing Shannon and her preceptor in the field as they responded to emergency calls.
Shannon graduated from the Goodwin College Paramedic Studies Program.
On behalf of the Aetna Family, we would like to wish Shannon the best of luck and say we are very proud to have such skilled professionals on staff.
MANCHESTER — American Heart Association Heart Saver CPR Training. CPR for Adults, Children and proper use of AED. Seats are limited-Register NOW!
Thursday, June 5, 2014: 6:00pm – 9:00pm. Mahoney Recreation Center, 110 Cedar St., Manchester
$15 for Manchester Residents ~ $25 Non-residents. Cost includes Heartsaver Student Workbook & Certification. Must register online at https://reconline.townofmanchester.org or in person at the Community Y or by phone 860-647-3164. Click here for more information on HEARTsafe and AED
Sponsored by:
Carolyn Edwards in a photo taken last fall. She is holding Britton, a family friend’s daughter. (Doug Edwards / May 22, 2014)
HARTFORD COURANT
by Jesse Leavenworth
MANCHESTER — Friends, coworkers and teammates are rallying in support of Carolyn Edwards, a beloved emergency medical technician who was badly hurt in a recent motorcycle accident.
“The reason everybody descended on this is that she’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet,” Ambulance Service of Manchester spokesman Dave Skoczulek said Thursday. “I’ve never heard her say a negative thing. She’s one of those people who’s always laughing, positive, upbeat. When this happened, it made a mess out of everybody and they came together as fast as they could.”
Read the original Courant article here…
Edwards, 36, of Manchester, was driving her motorcycle on East Center Street on the morning of May 6 when she collided with a car at the Vernon Street intersection, police have said. She was treated for head and arm injuries in the intensive care unit at Hartford Hospital, but was recently transferred to a rehabilitation facility.
Along with ASM, other organizations raising money to support Edwards’ family and help pay her medical bills include sports teams she belongs to, including the Hartford Wild Roses Women’s Rugby Team. The team is selling t-shirts with “#Carolynstrong” printed on the back. To purchase a t-shirt or a #carolynstrong bracelet, visit http://www.carolynstrong.org.
ASM employees also have been raising money through “cold water challenges,” which involve immersion in swimming pools and other chilly bodies of water. The company’s president and CEO, Wayne Wright, recently took part in one such challenge (see the video at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carolynstrong/1447016028872363).
Edwards, who was born in New York City, moved with her family to Manchester as a young girl and graduated from Manchester High School, ASM paramedic Kenya Russell said. Edwards, who is single and has no children, has been working for ASM for about five years. Russell said the two were frequent partners.
“She is consistently kind all the time, no matter what the scenario is,” Russell said. “We have stressful scenarios, but she’s always smiling.”
“She was like that as a little kid,” Edwards’ uncle, Doug Edwards, said.
Little by little, Edwards said, his niece’s condition is improving. Her great physical shape before the accident and the many friends she has made are helping, he said..
“Between her physical stamina and her relationships with people, I think that’s really the thing that makes her recovery go well,” Edwards said.
When Carolyn Edwards regains her health, friends plan to convert the fundraising organization they started after the accident into a standing foundation to benefit all emergency medical service workers in the state who face similar crises, Russell said.
(L to R): Halston Mendes, Matthew Campbell.
HARTFORD – As of May 15, 2014 Aetna’s Halston Mendes has been cleared by Hartford Hospital medical control for independent dispatch as a paramedic to the towns that Aetna serves.
Halston’s preceptor was Matthew Campbell. 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 Aetna, Halston’s final approval came from Hartford Hospital after shadowing Halston and his preceptor in the field as they responded to emergency calls.
Halston graduated from the Capital Community College Paramedic Program.
On behalf of the Aetna Family, we would like to wish Halston 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: