MANCHESTER —
The final total for the Manchester team:
The final totals for the entire Emergency of Hunger Food Drive for 2012, including Manchester, Rockville, South Windsor, Vernon and Windsor:
Click for the latest Hartford Courant article on the Food Drive…
First Weekend Totals:
To Reach the Goals, the Second Weekend Must Total:
The food drive will take place on the following days and in the following Stop & Shop locations:
By MICHAEL WALSH, Special to The Hartford CourantThe fourth annual Emergency of Hunger Food Drive, a community staple in the Manchester area since its 2009 debut, serves much more than helping the town prepare for the holiday season.
While more than 1,000 Thanksgiving turkeys are donated each year to the food drive, which is organized locally by the Ambulance Service of Manchester, those who see hunger first-hand say the food drive allows food pantries to remain stocked in the slower winter months. Continue reading
HARTFORD — A recent patient satisfaction survey received by Aetna Ambulance Service was full of praise for the crew and care received, but the patient had a question about the cost of services: Who sets the rates the ambulance service charges for transport or paramedic services?
Aetna and ASM are licensed Connecticut ambulance services. As such, our companies are regulated by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH). The rates for each individual service category are issued to us by DPH and we do not have the discretion to set our own rates or billing categories or make any changes. The bills that are issued to patients for services rendered are produced with these set rates and cannot be higher. Continue reading
Taylor Salva is congratulated by Hartford Hospital’s Greg Berryman
HARTFORD – As of November 1, 2012, Aetna’s Taylor Salva has been cleared by Hartford Hospital medical control for independent dispatch as a paramedic to the towns that Aetna serves.
His preceptor was Robert Velletri. 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, Taylor’s final approval came from Hartford Hospital after shadowing Taylor and his preceptor in the field as they responded to emergency calls.
Taylor is a new, full time Paramedic who graduated from Capital Community College one year ago. He has lived in the New London/Groton area all his life, until he, his wife, daughter and step daughter recently moved to Griswold. He enjoys boating, fishing and shooting. He has worked as an EMT basic, a firefighter, and ER technician for some time now and is excited to start his paramedic career.
On behalf of the Aetna Family, we would like to wish Taylor the best of luck and say we are very proud to have such skilled professionals on staff.
Graham MacDonald, Director of Operations, Aetna Ambulance Service, Inc.
As I prepare to leave Aetna Ambulance Service I look back at the many wonderful people that I have had the pleasure to know and to work with. Aetna has always been known as a “family” and I have seen and experienced this first hand. It was an honor for me to have known both Jean and Ethel Grady. This family truly loved their community and always stood ready to help anyone in need.
Aetna Ambulance has excelled over the years and today it is known as one of the best ambulance companies in the state. It is widely respected by the hospitals and facilities that we serve. It has become the sought after place to work for EMT’s and Paramedics coming out of school. Our reputation is based not only upon the dedication and excellence in patient care but the family atmosphere that lives on today.
My time here has been a great experience and I have enjoyed coming to work every day. I will miss the many people that I have worked with both here and the Ambulance Service of Manchester. I am proud to say that it has been an honor for me to be a part of this organization.
Sincerely,
Graham MacDonald, Director of Operations
Aetna Ambulance Service, Inc.
MANCHESTER – As of November 1, 2012, ASM’s Josh Traber has been cleared by Eastern Connecticut Health Network medical control for independent dispatch as a paramedic to the towns that ASM serves.
His preceptors were Supervisor-Paramedics Vinnie Maston and Melissa Osborne. 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, Josh’s final approval came from Eastern Connecticut Health Network after shadowing Josh and his preceptor in the field as they responded to emergency calls.
Josh started at ASM in 1999 as a Communications Dispatcher. He obtained his EMT in 2000 and started Capital Community College’s Paramedic Program in 2011.
On behalf of the ASM Family, we would like to wish Josh the best of luck and say we are very proud to have such skilled professionals on staff.
MANCHESTER — From a card received October 24, 2012:
On behalf of the Fire Department and myself, I would like to thank you and the EMS crews who participated with us during our open house. As a long standing partner and critical component of our EMS [system], it was only appropriate for ASM to be there!
The EMS crews were polite, courteous and professional. They took the time to answer questions, give tours of the ambulance and displayed much of their medical equipment.
Again, I would like to express our gratitude and thanks!
Regards,
FF Jay Gonzalez
Manchester Fire Rescue EMS (MFRE)
MANCHESTER — For the week of October 14-20, ASM and the Manchester Fire Department teamed up to give Fire Prevention and People Who Help presentations at the elementary schools throughout the Eighth District.
In a letter from the Bureau of Fire Prevention of the Manchester Fire Department:
Thank you for assisting us with our Fire Prevention Week! The kids LOVED seeing the equipment and having the opportunity to walk inside an ambulance. We cannot say thank you enough! I have included in this letter some pictures that you might enjoy.
Your friends,
The Manchester 8th Utilities District Fire Department
By JESSE LEAVENWORTH, leavenworth@courant.com The Hartford Courant
October 20, 2012
Emergency medical technicians have long shared a Murphy’s Law kind of reckoning about obese patients: for every additional floor in a building, the patient will weigh 100 more pounds.
It’s dark humor among men and women with an often grim, strenuous job, but obesity rates are rising throughout the state and nation, and a recently released report says the ranks of the morbidly obese will continue to balloon.
The task of transporting patients who weigh at least 100 pounds more than they should is now a daily reality in Connecticut and throughout the nation. The job strains ambulance crews, causing widespread back injuries, and piles financial burdens on both volunteer companies and professional providers.
“We’ve always had to deal with big people,” said Glenn Luedtke,safety committee chairman of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, “but nowadays, it’s not uncommon to see someone who’s 300 pounds into the 400-pound range.” Continue reading
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:
Jeff D’Albero (left) is congratulated by Supervisor Chuck Roode
HARTFORD – As of October 10, 2012, Aetna’s Jeff D’Albero has been cleared by Hartford Hospital medical control for independent dispatch as a paramedic to the towns that Aetna serves.
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, Jeff’s final approval came from Hartford Hospital after shadowing Jeff and his preceptor in the field as they responded to emergency calls.
Jeff is 25 years old and lives in New London with his fiance Mariaha, and two year old Caleb. He has been involved in fire and EMS since obtaining his EMT certification when at age 16. He is a graduate of the paramedic program at Capitol Community College in Hartford and began working as a paramedic in Bridgeport. He also works as a part time Firefighter for the Town of Waterford.
On behalf of the Aetna Family, we would like to wish Jeff the best of luck and say we are very proud to have such skilled professionals on staff.
Aetna’s Tiago Paula Santos
HARTFORD — In an email from October 10, 2012:
“I would like to express my praise for Tiago. On September xx, 2012 he transported my mother to Saint Francis Hospital with a broken leg. He took great care of my Mom and was very compassionate. On October xx, 2012 he transported her to a doctor’s appointment and provided excellent care. I found him to be very patience with my Mom and he had a great concern for her well being He is a great asset to your company and makes not only the patient but the family feel good. Please let him know that my Mom and I appreciated everything that he did for her.”
Sincerely,
[Patient’s Daughter – #12-79510]
MANCHESTER — A side by side comparison of the Ambulance Service of Manchester’s Unit 514 as the Ford model is decommissioned in favor of the Mercedes Sprinter. Click on each picture to expand.
