Every day emergency medical services (EMS) crews answer the call to care in our community. Ambulances dispatched from Plymouth Fire Department, Culver EMS and Walkerton-Lincoln Fire Territory race to provide emergency care in homes, on highways and in every other imaginable location in Marshall county.
Saint Joseph Health System (SJHS) and local EMS have joined forces to set a new standard for emergency care by outfitting eight ambulances to each become an ER on Wheels. The 2018 Catch the Spirit Gala will be held June 1 to support this effort.
“Answering the call to care goes beyond the walls of Plymouth Medical Center in an emergency situation,” said Dan Kunde, hospital administrator and Gala chair. “It means working with our community partnersto bring the right tools and technology to the first point of contact – our ambulances.”
Marshall County hosts eight emergency response vehicles — two in Culver, four in Plymouth and two in Walkerton — and all will be equipped withadditional, state-of-the-art technology. To help medics, nurses and physicians create a plan of care before arriving at the hospital, an advanced communication system capable of sending patient information from the field to the Emergency Department immediately will be installed. Another feature, EKG technology, can transmit critical cardiac information from the field to the ER cardiac team waiting on standby for the patient to arrive. The final element of the ER on Wheels is an auto-chest-compression device designed to deliver precise treatment for patients in cardiac arrest, allowing faster transport and return of heart function.
The ER on Wheels committee includes Brandon Cooper, EMS coordinator, SJHS; Kathy Hart, director of Culver EMS; Steve Holm, assistant chief, Plymouth Fire; Rod Miller, chief, Plymouth Fire; and Bob Severeid, EMS chief, Walkerton-Lincoln Fire.
This year’s Catch the Spirit Galawill be held at Swan Lake Resort, and tickets are still available. A cocktail reception will begin at 6 pm, dinner and program at 7 pm and an afterglow party following. To attend or support the event, visit sjmedgiving.com, call 574-335-4542, or email thefoundation@sjrmc.com.
About Saint Joseph Health System
Saint Joseph Health System (SJHS) is a not-for-profit healthcare system located in North Central Indiana that offers acute-based hospital care and post-acute services including: community wellness, physical rehabilitation, home care, physician clinics, outpatient services, independent and assisted senior living, memory care and affordable senior apartments. SJHS includes: Mishawaka Medical Center; Plymouth Medical Center; Rehabilitation Institute; Outpatient services of the Elm Road Medical Campus; Health Insurance Services; Saint Joseph Physician Network; VNA Home Care; the Senior Living Communities at St. Paul’s, Holy Cross and Trinity Tower; and Saint Joseph PACE. SJHS serves more than 200,000 members of the Michiana community annually. SJHS is a Regional Health Ministry of Trinity Health in Livonia, Michigan.
