| Paramedic's Corner: Ambulance district installs new members |
By: Ambulance Director Gary Carmack
|
Posted: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 11:54 pm
|
Gary Carmack
|
|
|
The board of directors of the Pulaski County Ambulance District met on April 20. New board member Ronnie Layman was sworn into office by board secretary Betty McClain. Ronnie Layman is replacing longtime board member Larry Salveter as the Crocker sub-district director. Salveter, one of the founding members of the ambulance district, retired from the board after serving from 1987 to 2009. Layman’s sub-district includes Crocker and part of Hancock, the area that is in the Crocker R-II School District.
After the swearing-in procedure, the board re-organized the board officers. Members elected Richard Ledbetter, the Richland and Swedeborg sub-district director, as board chairperson. Darold Wieners of the Laquey sub-district was elected vice-chair. Cindy Walters of the Waynesville sub-district was elected treasurer, and Betty McClain, who is a paid staff member rather than a board member, was elected board secretary. The other board members are Larry Lercher of the St. Robert sub-district and Mark Sheldon of the Big Piney and Devils’ Elbow sub-district.
Each board member is elected for three year terms. The district did not have to hold the actual election this year as no one filed against incumbent Cindy Walters, and only Ronnie Layman filed from Crocker. The ambulance district’s medical director is Dr. Barton Warren of Richland.
The district responded to 388 calls in March. The highest call area was Waynesville at 129 calls, followed by St. Robert at 125 calls. Third was Richland at 52, then Crocker at 25 calls. There were 19 calls to Fort Leonard Wood and 12 each to Laquey and Rolla. Most of the Rolla and Fort Leonard Wood calls are to the hospitals for transfers.
There were also five calls to Devil’s Elbow, three to Dixon, and two each to Buckhorn, Lebanon and Plato, as well as one each in Newburg and Stoutland.
The highest destination hospital was Phelps County Regional Medical Center in Rolla at 72 calls, followed by St. John’s Hospital in Lebanon at 70, General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital at 61, Lake Regional Medical Center in Osage Beach at 15, St. John’s Hospital in Springfield at 10, University Hospital and Clinics with four, and one each to Texas County Memorial Hospital, Columbia Regional, Cox South, Heartland, St. John’s in St. Louis, Truman Memorial Veterans, and St. Mary’s in Jefferson City.
The most frequent trauma calls were motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) at 67, and falls at 21. The highest number of medical calls were 36 chest pain calls and 30 breathing problem calls.
The district has new advanced technology regarding 12-Lead EKG transmission. The paramedics can send the patient’s EKG to the hospital emergency room physician or to the patient’s cardiologist. The 12-Lead EKG can be sent directly to the physician’s fax, e-mail, or blackberry. This allows advanced notification, planning, and preparation for cardiac teams or other specialties as needed.
Click here to comment for local opinion |
|
Printer-friendly format
|
|
