OCTOBER 2023
October was filled with coverage, education & participation. From partnerships to provide life saving & equipment training for the community; to continuing professional training for our own team.
Let’s not forget to applaud those who united for a great cause promoting Breast Cancer Awareness. See all Pocono Mountain Regional EMS and our community partners can do as you read through this latest edition.
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Stop the Bleed Community Campaign Kickoff
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Pink Light Walk Shines Bright LVHN 23 Years United with ESU
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St Luke’s Trusted ER Care
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Clear the Way It Just May Save a Life
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Always Make Time to Train
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Part of Our Community Coverage. Education. Participation
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Contributor Appreciation Thank you to LVHN & SLUHN
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Pocono Mountain Emergency Medical Services (PMREMS), Pocono Raceway, and The Williams Corporation held a kick off event October 26th for a campaign to provide life saving equipment and training across the community. Over the next few months, PMREMS will be providing “Stop the Bleed” training and thousands of dollars of bleeding control equipment to various organizations in the Pocono Mountains Region. The first recipient of this equipment will be the Pocono Raceway which hosts numerous events throughout the year attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to our community. The program was made possible through a generous community impact grant awarded by Williams Company, which has invested locally in a vital infrastructure upgrade project to safely transport natural gas through the communities PMREMS serves. Trauma is the #1 cause of death in Americans between the ages of 1 and 46, with blood loss from uncontrolled hemorrhage contributing to a significant majority of those deaths.
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Community education efforts such as this, in addition to the national “Stop the Bleed” call to action from the Department of Defense aim to educate the public on bleeding control techniques and equipment. Blood loss from a severe traumatic injury can be fatal in minutes which is why educating the public about activating 911 and taking efforts to control severe bleeding prior to EMS arrival is so important. Austin Schrader, Chief Operating Officer of Pocono Mountain Regional EMS says “As a community based 501C3 organization, we take our responsibility to provide first aid training to our residents seriously. Often, the efforts we take to provide community education are limited by financial constraints and the funds provided by the Williams corporation have enabled us to offer vital training and resources across the communities we serve.”
Ben May, President of Pocono Raceway states “Pocono Raceway applauds the leadership of the Pocono Mountain Regional Emergency Medical Services as well as the generosity of the Williams Company and their commitment to our community. These kits and the associated training will empower our team to better provide life-saving care to our guests in the event of an emergency. We hope our work together can be an example for others and inspire them to be trained and prepared.”
“Williams has a long tradition of supporting communities where we have operations. Our grant to Pocono Mountain Regional Emergency Medical Services isn't just an investment in an organization; it's an investment in helping to save lives. With ourcontribution, we become partners in safeguarding our community's health and \well-being”, said Mike Atchie, Community Outreach Director at Williams.
ital–Pocono p s o H y e ll a V Lehigh University g r u b s d u o r t & East S 23rd Annual alk Pink Light W
The lawn of East Stroudsburg University’s (ESU) Hoeffner Science and Technology Center was a sea of pink as hundreds of supporters gathered for the 23rd Annual Pink Light Walk on Oct. 5. The Pink Light Walk, which is hosted by Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Pocono and ESU, began with an information fair featuring local health and wellness vendors held at the university. Then a pink ambulance led the way as everyone, dressed in pink from head to toe, walked to LVH–Pocono’s Dale and Frances Hughes Cancer Center. Upon arrival at the cancer center, everyone enjoyed pink-ribbon cookies and apple cider. Surgical oncologist Krista Bott, MD, with LVPG Surgical Oncology–Pocono, then reminded the crowd of the importance of early detection and getting mammograms. She was followed by the Pink Light Walk’s honorary chair and cancer survivor, Sarah Treible, who shared her inspiring story of beating breast cancer. The event concluded with the lighting of a tree in pink lights in front of the cancer center to honor those facing breast cancer.
clear the way. IT JUST MAY SAVE A LIFE
Many times ambulances and other emergency vehicles have difficulty accessing homes due to overgrown driveways. As you rake up those leaves this fall take the time to trim back any branches or brush that may have grown into your driveway this summer! It just might save valuable minutes when seconds count! Here are a few points shared from a post online by Norway Maine Fire Department
Ensure driveway has adequate height and width
CLEARANCE
from vegetation for large emergency vehicles
13.5 feet minimum
12 feet minimum
TIME TRAIN TO
Pocono Mountain Regional EMS professionals attended a comprehensive 3-hour documentation class taught by Dave Albertson - the “guru” of EMS documentation from our partners at Ambulance Reimbursement Systems (ARS). Mr. Albertson's insights and expert guidance have further honed our team's documentation skills to ensure we deliver the highest quality of patient care. Our staff now has an even more solid foundation in documenting key interactions with our patients, capturing every detail, and upholding the highest ethical and compliant standards in all our billing practices.
Why is quality EMS documentation so crucial? It paves the way for accurate communication among healthcare providers, ensuring continuity of care with our hospital partners. It supports quality improvement initiatives and helps identify areas for education and training. It safeguards our organization during medico-legal issues, ensuring we're always on top of our game! It helps protect our patients in the communities we serve to ensure claims submitted to their insurance are processed correctly and appropriately. We are incredibly grateful to our partners at ARS for their unwavering support and commitment to training our staff. Together, we continue to strive for excellence in everything we do.
Learn more about our partnership with ARS
thank you to our 2023 newsletter contributors!
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ADDRESS 135 TEGAWITHA ROAD, TOBYHANNA PA 18466 PHONE 570.839.8485 WEB PMREMS.ORG