Sanford Medical Center Fargo

Fall 2017 Compassion, Excellence, and Community Service

F-M AMBULANCE SERVICE

VITAL SIGNS

Tuesday, July 25, 2017 was a momentous day for both Sanford Health, and F-M Ambulance. On that day, F-M

Ambulance helped move over 60 patients from the Sanford Broadway campus to the new Sanford Medical Center in

southwest Fargo. Thousands of hours of planning went into the move to help make it successful. We are thankful for

the teamwork and collaboration that happened that day. Our team worked hard to make sure that the patients had a

smooth and safe transition. Smiles and excitement were abundant everywhere the day of the move.

The opening of the new medical center will bring some new challenges to our team, including approximately 2500 –

3000 more Sanford campus-to-campus transfers per year. As Sanford expands its reach, F-M Ambulance will

continue to provide top-notch service to those that we transport.

Sanford Fargo locations:

Sanford Medical Center Fargo

5225 23rd Avenue South

Sanford Broadway

801 Broadway

Sanford South University

1720 South University Drive

ESGR Boss Lift Day

American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline

F-M Ambulance recently received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Plus Award. This

award recognizes F-M Ambulance for implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who

experience severe heart attacks.

Every year, more than 250,000 people experience a STEMI, or ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction, a type of heart

attack caused by a complete blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it’s

critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by surgically opening the blocked vessel or by giving clot-

busting medication.

“F-M Ambulance is dedicated to making our service among the best in the country, and the American Heart

Association’s Mission: Lifeline program is helping us accomplish that by implementing processes for improving

systems of care with the goal of improving the quality of care for all acute coronary syndrome patients,” said Kathy

Lonski, F-M Ambulance’s Quality Improvement Advisor. “We are pleased to be recognized for our dedication and

achievements in emergency medical care for all cardiac patients.”

Don Martin, FMA Operations Manager, was nominated by

several employees to participate in the Employer Support of

the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Boss Lift Day.

The purpose of the Boss Lift program is to show employers

what the military does, and by doing so, make them stronger

advocates for ESGR. It allows the bosses to see first-hand

some things that Guard members do. Employer support is

vital for the Guard and Reserve – it allows these employees

to defend and protect us at home and abroad and not have to

worry about employment when they return.

Martin got to ride from Fargo to Camp Grafton in a Blackhawk

helicopter, tour the facilities and learn more about what Guard

members experience during training and deployments.

Hillsboro Tornado Response

Want to Learn More About F-M Ambulance?

On the evening of July 11, six ambulances and

many other emergency response vehicles were

dispatched to Hillsboro as a precautionary

measure to help with potential injuries from a

tornado that touched down in the area. Although

there was damage from the storm, no injuries

were reported.

Mutual aid, or helping a nearby ambulance

service, is common throughout the EMS

community. Because Hillsboro is within the

Sanford system, F-M Ambulance was sent as a

precaution to assist if anything was needed. F-M

Ambulance has mutual aid agreements with

many other ambulance services in our area.

F-M Ambulance Service is excited to offer two opportunities this fall for community members to learn about emergency

medical services.

F-M Ambulance Service Citizens Academy

The F-M Ambulance Service Citizens Academy is a hands-on opportunity for community members to learn more about

F-M Ambulance Service. During the academy, you will learn about F-M Ambulance Service and emergency medical

services, along with learning skills that can be used in actual emergencies. Topics covered include CPR, ambulance

equipment, disaster preparedness, basic and advanced airway techniques, introduction to cardiology, medical

emergencies, pharmacology, and traumatic emergencies. The Citizens Academy is designed for community members

who are over the age of 18.

F-M Ambulance Service Explorers

The F-M Ambulance Service Explorers are a group of high school students who are interested in learning more about

aaaaaaa the field of emergency medicine. Participants

will spend three hours each month in a career

shadow program, which focuses on hands-on

learning and experiences through participation

with professional and successful Paramedics

and EMTs. Some Explorers are able to

participate in ride-alongs during the program.

There is a small fee for the program, which

covers the required uniform shirt and other

costs. The F-M Ambulance Explorers is

associated with the Boy Scouts of America

Explorers program.

For more information about the Citizens

Academy or the Explorers program, please call

701-364-1745.

The Clinical Corner The North Dakota Resuscitation Academy Conference

Welcome to the Team!

It’s A Record!

Are you an EMT or paramedic

who is interested in working

for F-M Ambulance, Hillsboro

Ambulance or Thief River

Falls Area Ambulance? We

would love to talk to you!

Check out sanfordhealth.jobs

to see what positions we have

available!

If you’ve read the last few newsletters, you may have heard of

the Heart Smart initiative – F-M Ambulance is collaborating with

key partners in our community to help our residents have the

best possible chance of survival after a sudden cardiac arrest.

But what exactly are we doing to make this happen?

In June, Kathy Lonski and Jason Eblen traveled to Bismarck to

take part in the 2017 ND Resuscitation Academy Conference.

This two-day conference offered information on the science

behind resuscitation, the pros and cons of mechanical CPR,

post-resuscitative care, CPR in rural communities, data

collection, pit crew CPR and other topics relating to high

performance CPR. Forty people from around the state

participated in the event.

Presenters at the ND Academy Conference included Dr. Peter

Kudenchuk from Seattle, Washington and Dr. Mike Levy from

Anchorage, Alaska. Lonski spoke about working as a team

aaaaa

Tammie Bakko Dispatcher FMA

Taylor Clark EMT HAS

Julie Clennon Paramedic TRF

William Franklund EMT FMA

Kyle Gorze EMT FMA

Jordan Lucy EMT FMA

Cody Miller EMT FMA

Colvin Taylor EMT FMA

If you thought you heard more sirens than usual on

Monday, August 7, you were right! F-M Ambulance had

a record-breaking day - our EMTs and paramedics

completed 122 calls for service in a 24-hour period,

which beat the old record of 107. Thank you to the team

members who worked that day – and to all of our team

members – for the great job they do every day!

during resuscitation, also known as “Pit Crew CPR”. The academy stressed that it’s the basic things that can save a

life – calling 9-1-1 right away, CPR directions via telephone, rapid dispatch, community CPR, high-performing EMS

teams and early defibrillation. The ND state health department and the ND EMS Association hope to team up to offer

another academy to more emergency responders throughout the state in the future.

2017 F-M Ambulance Awards

Lunch with our Vets

Congratulations to all of the 2017 F-M Ambulance award recipients! The Star of the Year award is given to a provider who consistently gives excellent patient care and customer service. The 2017 award recipient is Chris Schwartz The Employee of the Year is someone who demonstrates the importance of being a great team member every day. The 2017 award recipient is Scott Helmer The Preceptor of the Year has shown commitment to providing a positive learning experience for all students. The 2017 award recipient is Jay Huseby The Safe Driver of the Year is awarded to a team member who consistently places the safety of their partners and the community as a high priority. The 2017 award recipient is Justin Rosenfeldt The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution Medal is awarded to a member of the Honor Guard who exemplifies patriotism and is an all-around excellent steward of honor guard activities. The 2017 award recipient is Austin Yancy The VFW EMS Gold Award recipient must display clinical excellence and have a strong commitment to mass casualty, disaster response and/or SWAT/Tactical EMS. The 2017 award recipient is Tyler Tougas (recipient of both local and state awards) The Medal of Meritorious Service recipients have gone above and beyond their job duties without expectation of reward. The 2017 award recipients are Tyler Tougas and Adam Braaten The Rising Star Medal is awarded to a new team member who has shown promise in their first months or years with the company. The 2017 award recipient is Jim Seefeldt

On Tuesday, August 8, paramedic Lana Barone and EMT

Cody Miller served lunch at the Fargo VA Medical Center

Community Living Center. Lana and Cody were able to chat

with some of our nation’s heroes while serving them lunch.

The VA’s Community Living Center is a long-term care unit

which maintains an average length of stay of 30 days. Most

patients require extended rehabilitation and care following

surgery and/or lengthy hospitalizations before returning to

independent living.

This was a great opportunity to show our Veterans how

much we appreciate what they do for us – thank you to Lana

and Cody for proudly representing F-M Ambulance!

Do You Know How To Save a Life?

Do you know CPR, how to use an AED, or the Heimlich maneuver? Seven people were recently recognized at a

Redhawks baseball game for saving a life by doing those things.

Six people are alive today because of the quick actions of these seven people. If you don't know CPR, now is the

time to learn – you never know when you may save a life!

Lisa Dahl called 9-1-1 and with the help of

dispatchers, performed CPR on her

husband, Brent, which helped save his

life.

Tim Binfet and Jason Mehlisch, both off-

duty Fargo firefighters, performed CPR and

used a public AED to help save Bruce

Thom’s life.

Zeke Konjic stepped in and successfully

performed the Heimlich maneuver on a

man who was choking.

Ryan McMaster saved a life when he

successfully performed the Heimlich

maneuver on a man who was choking.

Leslie Aune performed CPR on Louan Fee,

which helped save her life. The ladies

didn’t know each other before the life-

changing event.

Michael Henry performed CPR on William

Berquam. Berquam’s daughter helped

present the award to Mr. Henry.

We hope that you have enjoyed this edition of Vital Signs, a quarterly newsletter distributed by F-M Ambulance. An electronic edition of Vital Signs can be found on our website, www.fmambulance.com. If you have any ideas, questions, or comments about Vital Signs, please contact Kristi at 701-364-1759, or kristi.engelstad@fmambulance.com.

The Sanford Health EMS Education (SHEMSE) team

has been busy! Check out all of the exciting things

happening at SHEMSE!

In August, Robert, Ron and Trista attended the National Association of EMS Educators Symposium in Washington,

D.C. They attended many great sessions with lessons that they will share with EMS educators across all of Sanford.

Ron also defended a research poster at the conference.

SHEMSE is pleased and honored to once again sponsor and host a

paramedic student from the National Ambulance Service in Ghana,

Africa. Christiana is excited to spend the next year at F-M Ambulance

and take back our paramedicine techniques to her colleagues in

Ghana.

Fall semester started with a bang. We have a group of 51 students

from across the region attending our EMT class as well as 27 new

paramedic students. Good luck to all of them as they start their EMS

careers!

The 2018 recertification session opens on

August 28 with the first recert classes. If

you recertify in 2018, please make sure

that you have looked at the sessions that

are available. Sessions are available face-

to-face or online. Make sure you register

on our website or call 701-364-1753 for

more information.