Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation

CCPT Hosts Patient Safety Discussions: Lessons Learned from the Life-Guard Aviation

2010-12-08T11:22:00.032-05:00

Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation Services was pleased to welcome our peers from both the Roanoke Memorial OR team as well the Quality & Patient Safety Department yesterday. The first of a lecture series regarding patient safety was presented by Paul Davenport, Sr. Director. The lecture entitled, "Why Hospitals Should Fly: Patient Safety Lessons from Aviation Emergency Medical Services" allowed our team to share valuable safety lessons with our colleagues. The presentation, based largely on the book "Why Hospitals Should Fly" by John J. Nance, JD, allowed the audience to better understand the principles of Crew Resource Management (CRM) and how we, at CCPT, make these principles a priority in our everyday practices, in order to promote both patient and crew safety. Three of our Air Methods pilots were also there to share their perspective from the aviators' side of our operations. It was a great opportunity for all to share ideas from both the inpatient and prehospital environments. We look forward to hosting the same presentation with the Roanoke Memorial CCU team later this week.

Updated 12/10/10: CCU Team Visits

4th Annual Camp Carilion

2010-08-03T14:16:00.013-04:00

CCPT was proud to host the Camp Carilion students today here at our Roanoke office. Every summer, Carilion Clinic invites local middle school students to attend our hospital-based camp. The students are given the opportunity to explore different health care careers by visiting a variety of areas in the hospital throughout the week. Today was Day 2 of the Camp; the group spent the first half of the day touring our Roanoke ambulance base as well as the Life-Guard 10 hangar. After meeting some of our crews, the students then attended an on-site CPR training with our own Training Coordinator, Johnny Nicely and Lieutenant Mark Altman.
We hope the kids enjoyed their day as much as we enjoyed having them. Hope to see some of them back in a few years as job applicants!

Photo Gallery:

Heart Attack Patient Meets Rescuers Who Saved Her Life

2010-07-01T16:01:00.010-04:00

On May 16th, Norma Anderson and her family learned first hand, the amazing results that can happen when an integrated public safety system and health care system are put into action.
On that day, Norma went into cardiac arrest while traveling with friends and family on Route 220 in Franklin County, VA. Her care began with Sergeant Dan Hale (Franklin Co. Sheriff's Dept.), and continued with Franklin County Public Safety, Carilion Franklin Memorial, Carilion Clinic Life-Guard, and ultimately Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. The entire emergency response was an excellent example of Carilion Clinic's Heart Alert program at work. Thanks to ongoing training and education between pre-hospital providers and Carilion Clinic, patients like Norma Anderson are given the best possible chance to survive a critical cardiac event.
This past Sunday, Ms. Anderson got to meet her rescuers and caregivers at our offices here at CCPT, and thank them all in person.
It was an amazingly emotional reunion; a rare opportunity for EMS providers to reconnect with one of their patients and share in the good outcome that they made possible. Thanks to all who took the time to come out and participate! See further details on the reunion on WSET's web site.

Life-Guard 10 Visits Moneta Rescue for LZ Training

2010-05-20T09:10:00.012-04:00

We enjoyed beautiful weather, great company, and a bonus ice cream social at Moneta Rescue Squad last night. Thanks to all who came out to visit with the Life-Guard 10 crew and learn more about landing zone safety. We truly enjoyed seeing everyone and getting to meet some of your families. Thanks for hosting the event!

CCPT Proudly Announces Renewed CAMTS Accreditation

2010-05-10T16:29:00.008-04:00

The Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems is dedicated to improving the quality of patient care and safety of the transport environment for services providing rotorwing, fixed wing and ground transport systems.
CCPT's commitment to going through this voluntary process is one example of our focus on providing service excellence to our surrounding communities.
We are very pleased to announce that we successfully completed our recent site survey and have been granted renewed accreditation for the next three years.

Release from CAMTS:

The Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems is proud to announce that Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation, a rotorwing, ground critical care, ground ALS, and ground BLS service, was again awarded accreditation on April 10, 2010. Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation provides highly skilled flight nurse/paramedic/EMT teams to care for adult, pediatric and neonatal patients. Carilion Clinic Life-Guard operates and maintains the two Eurocopter helicopters. The program operates their own ground service.”

Congratulations to all of the dedicated members who make up our team; without them, achievements such as this would not be possible!

CCPT Leadership Team Attends MTLI

2010-05-06T11:36:00.003-04:00

Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation's leadership team proudly recognizes Dr. Carol Gilbert, OMD-CCPT, on her recent graduation from the Medical Transport Leadership Institute (MTLI) as a Certified Medical Transport Executive (CMTE).
MTLI is an extensive two year program that focuses on leadership and overall operational development of leaders in the Medical Transport Community. A very small number of leaders in the country have this certification.
In addition to Dr. Gilbert completing the CMTE, the following leadership staff attended other parts of the MTLI school:

Paul Davenport, Sr. Director-MTLI Regent
Charles Coffelt, Director-attended Graduate School
Susan Smith, Director-attended Graduate School
Jeff McKinney, Manager-attended Graduate School
Craig McCown, Manager-attended Graduate School
Kim Rorrer, Manager-attended Graduate School
Melanie Morris, Manager-Completed first year

Congratulations to all the members of the leadership team on their continued education!

CCPT Welcomes Visitors from Thailand

2010-04-07T16:10:00.003-04:00

CCPT was pleased to welcome 2 members of the Rotary International Group Study Exchange (GSE) Program today at our Roanoke base. The Rotary Foundation's GSE Program is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 who are in the early stages of their careers. For 4 to 6 weeks, team members experience the host country's culture and institutions, observe how their vocations are practiced abroad, and exchange ideas.
Our visitors today were both from Thailand: Orathai Tiangtam, RN and Rujapa Jiamtanopachai, Nurse Practioner, were given a full tour of our CCPT/Life-Guard operations.
We wish them well during their visits and hope that Carilion Clinic added a high point to their experience!

(pictured above, L to R: Doug Wright, RN, Rujapa Jiamtanopachai, NP, Chase Bower, NREMT-P, Orathai Tiangtam, RN, and Kevin Peters, Safety Officer)

Life-Guard Medical Director Discusses Experience in Haiti

2010-03-01T17:14:00.001-05:00

Click here to read more about our own Dr. Carol Gilbert's experience in Haiti

Carilion Clinic Life Guard Announces 6th Annual StarPoints Symposium

2010-02-08T14:02:00.003-05:00

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, April 10th
Location: Vinton War Memorial (Vinton, VA)

Carilion Clinic Life-Guard and Carilion Clinic Corporate University are pleased to announce StarPoints Symposium 2010. This conference is designed for EMS providers, critical care nurses, physicians, or other health care providers who desire to enhance their knowledge of current trends of pre-hospital and emergency care.

Conference registration will be opening soon, with a deadline of April 1st. Register early to ensure your spot!

Conference highlights this year include:
-Air Care track
-Intro. to Tactical Medicine Track
-Intro. to Underwater Rescue Track
-Leadership Track

Also, back by popular demand, we will have Bob Page presenting at this year's conference.

Stay tuned for further conference and registration details.

Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation OMD helps in Haiti

2010-01-29T15:23:00.004-05:00

Dr. Carol Gilbert, Trauma Surgeon and Operational Medical Director for CCPT has been deployed to Haiti. She was sent as a member of VA-1 DMAT to assist with medical treatment and relief. Dr. Gilbert is a seasoned trauma surgeon and has extensive experience in EMS/Rescue. Her lifesaving medical skills and experience will be a great asset to the relief efforts.

CCPT Congratulates the 2009 Employees of the Year

2009-12-14T13:31:00.006-05:00

Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation Services has announced the 2009 Divisional Employees of the Year. Each year, CCPT staff are selected from their accomplishments throughout the year.

Bedford Division-Tamara Dennis

Blacksburg Division- Amelia Stevens

Communication Center- Erika Alford

Critical Care Life-Guard- Charlotte Clark

Franklin Division-Jake Davis

Giles Division-Mike Evans

Lexington Division-George Jones
Pre-bill Division-Anessa Sink

Radford Division- Kelly Stoots

Roanoke Division-Alicia Caldwell

Westlake Division-Carole Vanella

Congratulations to all of the 2009 Employees of the Year!

Life-Guard Crew Visits Franklin County EMT Class

2009-11-24T15:51:00.003-05:00

The Life-Guard 10 crew recently made a visit to the Carilion Franklin Memorial helipad to do LZ safety training with a group of EMT students. Each semester we visit the upcoming EMTs and provide a classroom lecture on helicopter operations and safety, followed by an actual visit with the aircraft. The students always enjoy seeing the helicopter up close and learning more about our flight crews' roles. We like to think that we are introducing our team to future Life-Guard medics and nurses! Thanks to all who helped to make this class a success.

Carilion Clinic Life-Guard Team Competes in 2009 METI Cup Competition

2009-10-28T12:01:00.020-04:00

The annual Air Medical Transport Conference always offers lots of wonderful educational opportunities for the industry. Carilion Clinic Life-Guard is very proud to have been represented in the well-known METI Cup Critical Care Skills Competition this year is San Jose, CA. Flight nurse Dianna Coffey and flight medic Chase Bower rose to the challenge for this year's event.
Twenty teams went head-to-head at showing off their real time, real situation skills on METI’s state-of-the-art patient simulators. We are very proud of Dianna and Chase making such a strong showing in this exciting event. See pics below of our team in action. Way to represent, gang!

Life-Guard Rolls Out New Carilion Clinic Stroke Alert Education for EMS Providers

2009-09-23T14:15:00.009-04:00

The Life-Guard crew is excited to be part of one of Carilion Clinic's latest initiatives in providing the best emergency care possible for our communities: The Carilion Clinic Stroke Alert Program. This program allows for rapid recognition and response to those suffering acute stroke symptoms. Just as we have seen with the Heart Alert Program, this program starts with our EMS partners in the field. Early recognition of the stroke victim is the key not only to survival, but also optimal recovery. Thanks to Carilion Clinic's new program, EMS providers can activate a Stroke Alert from the field, allowing cutting edge teams and technologies to be prepared for the patient before they even arrive at the doors of Carilion Roanoke Memorial's emergency department.
A huge thanks to our Botetourt County EMS partners who hosted one of our Stroke Alert educational programs this week. Almost 30 providers showed up to learn the latest in emergency stroke care, as well as learn more about the new Carilion Clinic Stroke Alert Program.
If you would like to host a similar training for your EMS agency, please contact our Business Development Office at (540) 981-8303 or e-mail at mmorris@carilion.com.

Camp Carilion Visits CCPT

2009-08-07T13:57:00.020-04:00

Carilion Clinic hosted the 3rd Annual Camp Carilion this week in the Roanoke Valley. This is an exciting opportunity for middle school students to explore health care career opportunities by visiting different departments throughout our hospital. This year's theme was cardiac care, both in the hospital as well as in the EMS system. The students were able to follow the treatment course of a heart-attack vicitim from the the time of a 911 call all the way through to the cardiac rehab. course. The students also learned the vaulable signs and symptoms of a heart attack and how to assist if needed.
On Day 2 of the camp, the students joined us here at CCPT to become officially certified CPR providers. This turned out to be a favorite of the week for the group (including our staff!)

Photo Gallery

Two Carilion Clinic Employees Receive Regional EMS Awards

2009-06-24T15:09:00.012-04:00

Recently, the WVEMS Office held their Regional EMS Appreciation Picnic and Awards Ceremony, during which 11 EMS providers, physicians, and organizations were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the local EMS communities.
Our very own Romney Smith received the award for Outstanding EMS Pre-Hospital Educator. Romney has been an active EMS educator locally, regionally and across the state for nearly thirty years. His passion for EMS education is evident in any class with which he is associated. Romney is the First Lieutenant-Training Officer of Newport Volunteer Rescue Squad and employed as a flight medic by Carilion Clinic Life-Guard 11.
The Regional Award for Outstanding Contribution to EMS was given to Carilion Clinic's Paul T. Frantz, MD. This award is for an outstanding contribution to EMS by an individual, corporation, business, news media or program in providing financial, material, education or other tangible or non-tangible assistance to support and benefit the local, regional or state EMS system. Dr. Frantz, nominated by three separate individuals, is the driving force behind Carilion Clinic’s Heart Alert program. Frantz has dedicated his life to cardiothoracic medicine and he realizes the importance of the inclusion of EMS as a necessary step to saving more lives. Dr. Frantz’s tireless dedication to his patients and the Heart Alert program made him the obvious choice for this award. Local EMS leaders presented Dr. Frantz with his award at this week's Carilion Clinic Heart Alert meeting.
Pictured from left to right: Charles Coffelt-CCPT, Jason Ferguson-Botetourt County Emergency Services, Dr. Paul Frantz-Carilion Clinic, Dave Bishop-Roanoke City Fire & EMS, Billy Duff-Roanoke County Fire & EMS.
The staff of CCPT would like to offer a huge congratulations to both Romney and Dr. Frantz for their achievements. Their dedication is another example of Carilion Clinic's commitment to supporting excellence in our EMS communities.

Carilion Clinic's New Life-Guard 10 Participates in Shattered Dreams Program

2009-05-15T13:27:00.008-04:00

Earlier this week, the Life-Guard 10 crew took our new EC-145 to Riner, VA for Auburn High School's annual "Shattered Dreams" program. This is a mock DUI crash presented by the New River Valley Driving School, along with Christiansburg and Riner Rescue Squad (featuring the Junior Squad), Riner Fire Department, YOVASO, Montgomery County Sheriff's Department, VA State Police, Carilion Clinic Life-Guard, Harmon's Service Station, Horne's Funeral Service, and PSK 107.
The goal of the event is to teach high-school teens the dangers of drinking and driving. The Life-Guard crew is proud to be part of this event every year, and would like to thank the volunteers from Christiansburg and Riner Fire & Rescue for making this such a successful event!

CCPT Safety Officer Chosen to Attend International Conference May 13th-15th

2009-05-08T10:12:00.016-04:00

We are pleased to announce that our own Safety Officer, Kevin Peters, has been given the distinct honor of being chosen to attend the 2009 RETTmobil (Mobile Rescue) Conference in Fulda, Germany. Kevin is one of 24 people chosen to represent the EMS Safety Foundation at the conference this year. This select group was chosen at an international level, and attendees will be travelling from such countries as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, to name a few.
Kevin's ongoing work with Dr. Nadine Levick, Founder and Research Director, EMS Safety Foundation, allowed him the opportunity for this unique chance to represent Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation at a national level.

About the Conference
RETTmobil is the event for information and further training of emergency service personnel as well as EMS leaders and field rescuers. More than 300 exhibitors, and 20,000 visitors from throughout Europe and internationally were at the 2008 RETTmobil event. There exist many possibilities to experience modern technology, innovative products, practical services, 70,000 square meter of exhibition sites, as well as test tracks in an off-road course on an additional 50,000 square meters of large open areas.
RETTmobil today is a platform for innovations internationally, to the most diverse technical topics from emergency service, medicine, organization, and logistics. Participants will meet colleagues, deepen existing knowledge, test products and become acquainted with the newest innovations.

CCPT, a CAMTS accredited organization, is very proud of our commitment to safety. We are very excited about Kevin's selection for this opportunity, as well as the information he will bring back to our Company, regarding the latest in safety innovations for our industry.
Please join us in congratulating Kevin on this accomplishment as well as wishing him safe travels next week to Germany!

Farewell Celebration for the Bell 412

2009-04-15T15:00:00.005-04:00

Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation (CCPT) invites the community to join them as they throw a “retirement party” for the Bell 412.

Friday, April 17th from 5pm-7pm.
o See the Bell 412 up close.
o Take photos with the Bell 412.
o Meet the CCPT flight crews.
o Enjoy food, fun and music provided by Q-99.
o Children are especially welcome.

We are also accepting guests on Saturday, April 18th from 9am-11am.

Since the Carilion LifeGuard medevac program launched in 1981, no aircraft has served the region longer than the Bell 412 helicopter flown as “Life-Guard 10”. From 1990 to today, the 412 has safely flown almost 10,000 patients to their destination and faithfully served her pilots and crew.

For almost 20 years, people in Western Virginia have associated the unique shape of the 412, the low rumble of the twin Pratt & Whitney engines and the distinctive “whomp-whomp-whomp” of the four rotor blades, with a commitment to saving lives.

After a careful review, CCPT determined that patients' future needs would be best served by purchasing a new helicopter to replace the Bell (which is leased from Air Methods).

While CCPT staff will miss the Bell 412, they understand that the new helicopter -- a Eurocopter 145 -- will ultimately be an improvement for patients, with state-of-the-art safety and medical technology on board. The new Life-Guard 10 will also be a bit smaller and faster leading to slightly faster response time and improved safety when landing at the scene of an accident or heart attack.

The Bell 412 will not be scrapped or mothballed! The 412 will be completely refurbished by Air Methods and continue to serve as a civilian transport helicopter.

Read more about Life-Guard at http://www.carilionclinic.org/Carilion/Carilion+Clinic+Life-Guard.

CCPT EMS and Bike Teams Join Breast Cancer Awareness Event

2008-10-01T12:57:00.007-04:00

We were proud to support Carilion Clinic's Positively Pink Parade last weekend at Valley View Mall. This is an annual event that raises awareness for breast cancer and is a wonderful venue for both survivors and their loved ones to come together for a great cause. The rainy day didn't stop the enthusiastic crowd from proceeding as planned. CCPT sent several of our finest to provide medical standby coverage as well as cheer everyone on!
Thanks to all who came out and participated. We especially like the show of pink ribbon support-looks like a great addition to our uniform!

CCPT Participates in Local Disaster Drill

2008-09-23T10:42:00.003-04:00

***The Following information is related to a DRILL ONLY***

CCPT has currently dispatched 2 ambulances to assist with a Haz-Mat Drill in Roanoke City. Media updates for the drill situations are as follows:

There has been a train derailment along Patterson Avenue in the City of Roanoke. There has been an ammonia release in the 2400 block of Patterson Avenue with the plume moving Southeast across the Norwich area.
Crew are now in the process of evacuating the area in the area of the Norwich community. Evacuees will be taken to Patrick Henry High School. For more details see www.roanokealert.com for updated announcements.

Currently, the CCPT Senior Director is staffing the Carilion Clinic Command Center and the CCPT PIO is staffing the City JIC at the City Manager's office. Check back here for updates also.

Carilion Clinic Life-Guard Connects with Alleghany 911 Centers

2008-08-08T11:28:00.010-04:00

Jeff Echternach, PR Coordinator for our Communications Center, was on the road yesterday to visit with our neighboring emergency dispatchers in Alleghany County. We have worked very closely with the Alleghany EMS community over the years, and were excited to deliver our rapid access hotlines (aka "Life-Guard bat phones") to two of their 911 Centers. These direct ringdown phones allow for the 911 dispatchers to contact our Carilion Clinic Life-Guard dispatchers even more seamlessly. By simply picking up the handset, the phone is pre-programmed to automatically put the caller in touch with one of our Carilion Clinic Communication Specialists.
In conjunction with the Carilion Clinic Heart Alert program, Jeff has been out working hard providing excellent educational seminars for the E911 dispatchers on the basics of activating a Carilion Clinic Life-Guard helicopter for their area emergencies. "Making the call for a helicopter is not something a 911 dispatcher does every day", says Robin Hall, Alleghany County E911 Supervisor. "If you're not prepared for the phone call, it can make things very difficult".
Our Dispatcher training prepares dispatchers for all types of medevac response needs: from acute heart attacks, to motor vehicle accidents, to acute strokes....any call where time can make a critical difference in a patient's outcome.
Jeff was able to visit with the Alleghany dispatchers and learn more about their operations as well. While showing some of the staff the new phone, Police Chief Barry G. Balser commented, "I'm glad that Clifton Forge is able to partake in this technology...but when can we upgrade to the "Bat-Light" that shines your logo in the sky??" (Don't laugh, Chief Balser..we kind of like that idea!)
We value the excellent working relationships we have with all of our partnering dispatchers. If your local Communications Center is interested in scheduling training with our crew or would like to inquire about installing a hotline phone, please contact our Business Development Office at (540) 981-8303.

Rolling Safety Stand Down for Carilion Clinic Life-Guard

2008-07-08T11:45:00.008-04:00

As many of you are aware, our air medical community experienced a significantly tragic incident last week in Arizona. This event and other recent air medical incidents are still under investigation by the NTSB and FAA. Carilion Clinic Life-Guard, along with many other members of the Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS), voluntarily took time out from our busy schedules last Wednesday to hold a "Rolling Safety Stand Down". During this time, our air medical staff, aviation staff, administration, and communication specialists gathered to conduct a focused quality and safety review. We examined our culture of decision making and how these processes could affect the potential for human errors in our daily operations. Our discussions especially focused on the principles of Air Medical Resource Management (AMRM) and how we can all communicate better as a team. At the end of the meeting, staff members signed a form indicating everyone's personal commitment to the AMRM principles.
The entire staff of Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation is committed to providing safe, quality patient care to the communities in which we serve. Our thoughts and condolences go out to all of those who were affected by our air medical community's recent tragedies.

Blackhawk Mission a Success

2008-06-28T14:58:00.012-04:00

Lots of excitement at our helipad today as we watched the National Guard do their stuff...and boy, did they do it well! The mission was executed beautifully as they sling lifted the disabled MedFlight helicopter from the hospital's rooftop safely to our ground helipad.
After transferring the helicopter, the Blackhawk then made a final trip to the rooftop pad to retrieve the aircraft's rotor blades (see below).
See video below from the mission:

And finally, the helicopter is taken into the hangar for repairs:

And see a word from the Blackhawk pilot regarding the mission:

National Guard Blackhawk Helicopter Arrives at Carilion Clinic

2008-06-28T12:11:00.007-04:00

A National Guard Blackhawk helicopter was deployed this morning to the Carilion Clinic helipad. It's mission is to lift a disabled MedFlight helicopter from our hospital's rooftop helipad-the aircraft was stranded there several days ago due to a mechanical malfunction after bringing a patient to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.
Members of the Carilion Clinic, VA State Police, Roanoke Fire & EMS, and the National Guard met at the Carilion Clinic Life-Guard 10 hangar for a mission debriefing.
Stay tuned here for further updates on the helicopter move.

All Work and No Play?

2008-06-24T14:29:00.008-04:00

The CCPT family works hard, and deservingly so, they play hard. Over the weekend, a group headed to the James River for a fun day of paddling and social time. A huge thanks to Lieutenant Boudreaux for spearheading the day! Both employees, family members, and friends enjoyed a beautiful sunny day on the river.
Uh, Josh.....the boat is supposed to go IN the water!
We are fortunate to have such a great bunch of folks that work here at Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation. Outings like this only reinforce the great teamwork that we have in place every day at the workplace. If you are interested in joiningg the CCPT team, please contact our business office at (540) 981-8731 or visit www.carilion.com to inquire about employment opportunties.

Summer Camp Visits Life-Guard 10

2008-06-17T12:02:00.017-04:00

The Carilion Clinic Life-Guard staff frequently hosts hangar tours for area school groups and summer camps. It's a wonderful opportunity for the children to learn more about our jobs as well as tips on how to be good helpers during emergency situations. The kids are always full of great questions and certainly help to remind all of us here at CCPT why we have chosen our professions as emergency medical providers. We welcome groups of all ages to visit our workplace and see the helicopters and ambulances up close. Feel free to contact our Business Development Office at (540) 981-8303 to schedule a visit.
A special thanks also goes to Dr. Carol Gilbert and Krista Henderson, MSN, RN, from Carilion Clinic Trauma Services, for coordinating the activities with us. See the kids in action below, as they learn how to backboard a mock patient and load him into the aircraft-looks like future CCPT employees to us!

Click on the thumbnails below to see more of the kids' day with us:

Carilion Clinic C.I.O. Spends Day With Life-Guard 10

2008-06-16T08:57:00.004-04:00

The Carilion Clinic Life-Guard 10 crew welcomed a special V.I.P. guest on Friday. Daniel Barchi, Chief Information Officer for Carilion Clinic visited CCPT to see our operations up close, including some flight time with our crew. We suited him up and put him to work! Hopefully he enjoyed seeing our technology at an altitude of 3000 feet...a great alternative to any day in the office!

WSLS Does Story on New Night Vision Goggles

2008-06-12T10:28:00.005-04:00

A big thanks to News Channel 10 for the excellent story they did on the latest addition to our safety initiatives here at Carilion Clinic Life-Guard-the use of night vision goggles by our medevac teams. Reporter Candice Nelson got to see our operations up close and took time to try out the goggles herself while she was visiting. What do you think-new flight crew member?? :)
Check out the WSLS web site to see more of their coverage.

National EMS Memorial Service

2008-06-05T07:38:00.010-04:00

The 16th Annual National EMS Service recently was held in Roanoke, VA. Carilion Clinic Life-Guard was once again proud to participate in this event to honor our EMS brothers and sisters who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Carilion Clinic Life-Guard 10 provided a flyover for the finish of the EMS Memorial Bike Ri de on Friday evening. Nearly 100 cyclists made the grueling, but inspired ride from one of three different starting points: NYC, Kentucky, and Louisiana. Our own CCPT Giles member, James Lee, made the complete ride for the second consecutive year from NYC! Read more about the EMS Memorial Bike Ride here.
The actual Memorial Service took place on Saturday evening. Both Carilion Clinic Life-Guard 10 and 11 provided a flyover for the end of the service. See pictures from the event below. The National Service will return to the Roanoke area for one final time on May 23, 2009, before it moves to its new location in Colorado Springs.

Medical Transport Leadership Institute

2008-05-27T09:39:00.002-04:00

Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation's leadership team celebrates Charlie Coffelt's (Director-Communications Center & New River Valley Transport/EMS Divisions) graduation from the Medical Transport Leadership Institute (MTLI) as a Certified Medical Transport Executive (CMTE).
MTLI is an extensive two year program that focuses on leadership and overall operational development of leaders in the Medical Transport Community. A very small number of leaders in the country have this certification.
In addition to Charlie completing the CMTE, the following leadership staff completed other parts of the MTLI school:

Allan Belcher-Graduate School
Susan Smith-Graduate School
Jeff McKinney-Graduate School
Craig McCown-Graduate School
Dennis Croft-Completed first year
Kim Rorrer-Completed first year
Dr. Carol Gilbert-Completed first year

Paul Davenport-Promoted from Instructor to Regent status

Congratulations to all the members of the leadership team on their continued education!

Carilion Clinic Heart Alert Team Celebrates EMS Week

2008-05-27T08:48:00.006-04:00

The Carilion Clinic Heart Alert Team continues to hold monthly multi-disciplinary meetings to allow EMS providers to present their field cases and receive follow-up from the Cardiology team. Participation in our group grows every month, and we continue to see great patient outcomes resulting from the Carilion Clinic Field Heart Alert Program.
This month, we were able to celebrate National EMS Week during our meeting. Thanks to all who participated-we look forward to seeing our program grow even more successful! If your crew is interested in sending a representative to our monthly conference, please feel free to e-mail Melanie Morris at mmorris@carilion.com for more details.

CCPT Participates in Radford Student Government Day

2008-05-23T12:08:00.023-04:00

At the end of each school year, Radford High holds a Student Government Day event for the graduating seniors. The day is devoted to allowing the students to see how the city is actually run by providing multiple job shadowing opportunities. The staff of CCPT, along with the Radford Fire Department, provided some of the seniors a close-up look at the work they do every day. The weather was beautiful and everyone enjoyed the mock crash demo which included loading the "patient" onto Carilion Clinic Life-Guard 11! Video and photo shots are included below from the day:

Extrication Demo

Loading Mock Patient for Life-Guard Transport

Photo Gallery (click on thumbnails for larger view)

4th Annual StarPoints Conference a Huge Success

2008-04-18T10:57:00.012-04:00

Each year, Carilion Clinic Life-Guard hosts their educational StarPoints Conference for EMS providers and hospital personnel. This year, the event was held at the Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center in Blacksburg, VA. We are extremely proud to report a record attendance of over 250 attendees-truly an example of the growing popularity of this annual event.
Highlights of the day included a keynote presentation on ambulance safety by nationally-acclaimed speaker Dr. Nadine Levick, a M*A*S*H*-style medical tent set up for advanced airway skills training, and a special presentation by the VA Tech Rescue Squad detailing lessons learned from the April 16, 2007 event. We would like to extend a huge thanks to all of the wonderful speakers who presented at this year's Conference-without them the event could not have been so successful!
Be sure to go ahead and mark your calendars for the 5th Annual StarPoints Conference which has already been scheduled for Saturday, April 11th, 2009 at The Inn at Virginia Tech. Stay tuned for details on the hottest EMS Conference in SW Virginia!
Click on the thumbnails below to see highlights from the day:

Welcome Back, Tara!

2008-04-17T11:03:00.007-04:00

We are very pleased to have Tara Clontz back at work with us here at Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation. On the afternoon of Jan. 12, 2008, Tara suffered severe injuries resulting from a farm tractor rollover in Franklin County. Our own Carilion Clinic Life-Guard 10 was actually called to the accident scene to transport Tara to the Trauma Services at CRMH. Our dedicated crews train endlessly for emergency calls such as this, but nothing can quite prepare them for arriving to find that the patient is a member of their own extended work family. It is times like this that are a stark reminder of the important role we play in the lives of those in our communities.
Thanks to the excellent care by the Carilion Clinic Trauma team, as well as Tara's sheer strength and determination, she was able to return to work with us last week. We all want Tara to know how much she is loved by her CCPT family and how happy we are to have her back with us!

CCPT Provides EMS Coverage for the Goody's Cool Orange 500 Race

2008-03-31T11:08:00.013-04:00

There's never a dull moment for the crews at CCPT and this weekend was no exception. Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation once again provided full EMS coverage for the NASCAR race at Martinsville Speedway. Our duties include coverage for the entire infield area, including a fully staffed critical care ambulance stationed at the care center, on-site medevac coverage by Carilion Clinic Life-Guard, and complete EMS coverage for the grandstands and remainder of the Speedway grounds. Carilion Clinic also staffs a stand-alone medical tent (STIP) staffed by physicians, nurses, and other ancillary hospital staff.
Carilion Clinic was the proud sponsor of Pole Day (see below where N.L. Bishop, V.P. and Chief Milton Graham presented the Pole Day award on Friday).
A huge thanks to all of our staff who worked so hard to make the weekend such a success. We will see you at the next race!

Carilion Clinic Life-Guard 11 Visits VCOM Students

2008-03-24T16:00:00.008-04:00

The Life-Guard 11 crew recently made a PR visit to the VT Airport to present a landing zone class for the VA College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) students. These types of educational visits are a favorite for the Life-Guard crews because it allows them to spend time showing others all of the capabilities on-board our Carlion Clinic helicopters. As you can see below, it's also fun for the students to get an up close and personal look inside the aircraft! (Thanks to Michael Buscher for the pics).

Carilion Clinic's Level 1 Cardiac Care: Life-Guard Crew Extends Training to Bedford

2008-03-11T09:11:00.008-04:00

The Carilion Clinic Life-Guard crew was on the road again in Bedford last night. They, along with Dr. Paul Frantz, delivered another Regional Field Heart Alert Program to a group of Bedford EMS providers and 911 Communication Specialists. The program educates both the prehospital field providers as well as emergency dispatchers how to recognize ST-elevation M.I. (STEMI) patients in the field and ensure that they are rapidly transferred to the Level 1 Cardiac Care team at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Whether the patients arrive by air or ground, our Level 1 cardiac team is prepared to deliver the life-saving interventions that save valuable cardiac muscle. A huge thanks to all of our EMS partners who are taking the time to participate in this valuable training!

If your EMS crew or Communications Center is interested in scheduling a Regional Field Heart Alert program for your area, please contact our Business Development office at (540) 981-8303.

Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation's Communication Center Benchmarks at Starbucks

2008-03-07T10:54:00.005-05:00

Recently, CCPT's Communication Center Team visited Starbucks and benchmarked how they give superior service and consistently make excellent products. The group reviewed sections of the book, The Starbucks Experience, by Joseph A. Michelli.
They discussed the parallels of providing emergency medical dispatch and communications to Carilion Clinic's helicopters/ambulances and Starbucks. Some of the parallels were: customer service, communication, standardized training, focus on the product or service, and teamwork.
CCPT's Communication Center will field approximately 50,000 calls for transport this year. The communication center is responsible for emergency communications for Carilion Clinic Life-Guard (emergency medical helicopters Life-Guard 10 and 11) and 35+ ambulances over 9 locations in the region.

CCPT Delivers EMS Training at National NASCAR Summit

2008-03-06T10:46:00.026-05:00

Several members of our Administration team recently were asked to present at the National NASCAR Track Services Summit in Concord, NC. Allan Belcher, Director and Jeff McKinney, Manager gave a presentation on Airway Management of NASCAR drivers.
This included an actual demo of how to manage difficult airway situations for the injured drivers inside of the NASCAR vehicles. They also presented a study on the effects of carbon monoxide on drivers and crews at the track events.
Our OMD, Dr. Carol Gilbert, gave a presentation on "Medical Management of Spectators". Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation has gained a lot of national attention based upon our EMS coverage at the Martinsville Speedway. We are excited to be entering our third year in providing both ground and air EMS coverage for the Martinsville track events-stay tuned for updates from this year's races!

Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation Responds to Assist Local Emergency

2008-03-06T09:44:00.007-05:00

When CCPT received the call last week that there was a potential shooter on the campus of Ferrum College, we immediately deployed resources to help with the Regional EMS response. Per Franklin County's request, 2 of our ambulances were relocated to assist with 911 coverage in the Franklin County response area, while a third ambulance was staged at Ferrum Rescue Squad. Fortunately, there were no victims that day, but it served as a good practice run for all EMS and law enforcement agencies in the area. It's always great to see the how well our regional agencies pull together in times of crisis.
See video from WSLS covering how Carilion Franklin Memorial was prepared for the potential mass casualty incident.

Carilion Clinic Announces New Westlake Center

2008-03-03T16:52:00.009-05:00

The CCPT Ground and Air Divisions were honored to participate in Carilion's media event earlier today to announce plans for the Westlake Center, scheduled to open in Spring 2009. The new facility will include a base location for our CCPT Westlake ground crew as well as a helipad for our Life-Guard helicopters to utilize.
Members of Franklin County Public Safety and Scruggs Fire & Rescue were also on hand for the big announcement. Thanks to Carilion Clinic, part of the land will also be donated for a new Public Safety facility for Franklin County. We are excited to be a part of this commitment to extend our emergency services into the Smith Mountain Lake Community. Stay tuned to local news coverage tonight for details from today's event. Also, check out the Carilion Clinic Blog for more details and photos from today (including video of Life-Guard 10 taking off from the site).

Franklin County Public Safety Hosts Carilion Clinic Field Heart Alert Training

2008-01-29T17:17:00.000-05:00

Franklin County Public Safety hosted a Carilion Clinic Regional Heart Alert Training on Monday, January 28th. Emergency medical service providers, nurses, and 911 dispatchers were among those who attended the class. Carilion Clinic Life-Guard crew and Communication Specialists joined together with Dr. Paul Frantz to educate the group on an exciting new initiative which was created at Carilion Clinic-the Field Heart Alert Program. This rapid response plan allows for EMS agencies to work closely with Carilion Clinic to deliver superior emergency cardiac care to the members of our communities .
There has been an increase in the use of prehospital 12-lead EKGs by our local EMS providers, which aids in early identification of a patients experiencing a specific type of heart attack, known as an ST-elevation M.I. (STEMI). Clinical evidence reveals that early identification of these patients is crucial to their outcomes. Thanks to Carilion Clinic's Field Heart Alert Program, there has been an average time reduction of 23 minutes from the time of initial patient symptoms to their arrival to the cardiac catheterization lab at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. This means that many STEMI patients in our region are receiving life-saving procedures well within the national average of a 90 minute window for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI).

Family Fun Day at the Carilion Clinic Life-Guard 11 Base

2008-01-28T09:56:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, January 27th, the Carilion Clinic Life-Guard crew hosted a gathering of friends and family at their new base location, Carilion New River Valley Medical Center. We were fortunate to have an incredible turnout and beautiful weather for a day dedicated to our crew and their loved ones.
The staff of Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation would like to extend a special thanks to all who attended. We hope you enjoyed the time spent with our families as well as the opportunity to visit our newest base location.

Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation (CCPT) Responds to Carilion Giles Memorial Hospital Evacuation

2008-01-24T12:32:00.000-05:00

The Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation Communications Center was notified during the early morning hours of January 24th to respond for the evacuation of patients from Carilion Giles Memorial due to a water line break inside of the building. CCPT Communications Specialists began procedures to assemble resources and Incident Command leadership. This included a full page-out to all CCPT staff and preparation of available resources.
All CCPT Divisions demonstrated an excellent response to assist with the incident. A total of 13 Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation ambulances responded to the incident. CCPT Leadership staff also responded to Carilion Giles Memorial Hospital Command Center (CCPT Division Director, Division Manager, & CCPT Safety Officer) and CCPT Headquarters in Roanoke. A total of 40 off-duty CCPT employees responded from the Bedford, Lexington, Franklin, Radford, Blacksburg, Westlake, Roanoke, and Giles Divisions. Additionally, 10 CCPT employees held over to meet the needs of our community. Carilion Clinic Patient Transportation also maintained contract 911 response in Giles County.
The Regional Hospital Coordination Center (RHCC) activated its Command Center, which is located at the CCPT Headquarters in Roanoke. Additional CCPT Communications Specialists were assigned to the Regional Command Center.
We are extremely proud of our Company's response and the excellent collaboration of multiple departments throughout Carilion Clinic's infrastructure as well as the Near Southwest Virginia Preparedness Alliance.

Taking it to the Streets (2-Wheel Style)

2008-01-21T16:28:00.000-05:00

The EMS Bike Team is one of our newest additions here at CCPT and we couldn't be prouder. The team is equipped to respond to emergencies in any type of mass attendance setting. They have already covered such events as Carilion's Riverfest, Gallop 4 the Greenways, and multiple NASCAR races at the Martinsville Speedway. Keep an eye out for our team...coming to an event near you!
If you are interested in scheduling our Bike Team for a local community event, please call our Public Relations office at 981-8303.

VIP Onboard

2008-01-21T16:14:00.001-05:00

There's never a dull moment with the Carilion Clinic Life-Guard crew, and CMC Board Member Jack Hans decided to get a taste of the action up close and personal! We are fortunate to have such supportive Board members and welcome the opportunity to show them what we're made of here at CCPT. We think he looks like a natural in the cockpit!

A New Look

2008-01-18T15:56:00.001-05:00

We recently unveiled the new Carilion Clinic name and design for our ambulance fleet. Not only is it a new look, but the new units offer added safety features for both our crews and the public.

At first glance, the ambulances have twice the required reflectivity required by the state. Reflective lettering on the sides and front add to night time visibility. Bold blue reflective chevrons on the back increase daytime and night time visibility. Warning lights are also enhanced by a combination of Halogen and LED lighting technology. Other safety oriented technologies include DriveCAM audio/video recorders mounted in the cab of each vehicle. Be sure to keep an eye out for us!