Carla Slavey
Commonwealth Journal, Somerset, Ky.
SOMERSET, Ky. — Somerset-Pulaski EMS has been having a busy few months. In April, it debuted a south station base for ambulance runs. In May it was recognized for going above and beyond for pediatric patients. Now, at Monday’s Somerset City Council Meeting, the department was honored by the American Heart Association by receiving the Mission: Lifeline EMS Performance Bronze-Plus Achievement Award.
The award was presented to EMS Chief Steve Eubank by American Heart Association representative Alexander Kuhn.
It recognizes EMS departments that go beyond the components of STEMI (ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction) system care.
According to the American Heart Association, a STEMI heart attack is the most deadly form of a heart attack.
“ST elevation” refers to the pattern that shows up on an electrocardiogram, better known as EKG.
Kuhn said that only 615 EMS departments around the U.S., and 24 within Kentucky, receive this award.
“We don’t give these out to a lot. Just to kind of put it in context, there’s about 15,000 to 20,000 EMS agencies in the country. So, you’re really in an elite group of agencies that have really stepped up to look at their data and really meet our metrics for this.”
Those metrics are that the department must meet at least 75 percent of the requirements on four measures: Anyone with symptoms of a heart attack getting a 12-lead EKG, that test being administered within 10 minutes, EMS notifying the local hospital of anyone with a “positive” EKG within 10 minutes of the test, and the time between EMS contact and the patient receiving attention within a hospital be less than 90 minutes.
Mission: Lifeline levels are bronze, silver and gold. A bronze level means the department reached the achievement score for at least one quarter of the year.
Chief Eubank called the honor the result of a collaboration with his team, the American Heart Association and the Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital.
Eubank also thanked Mayor Alan Keck, the Somerset council and the people within the EMS department.
“I’m able to surround myself with great people. They get in there and get it done,” Eubank said.
Major Matt Johnson, who was on hand for the presentation, said that he and all of EMS were excited to receive the recognition. He said that Somerset-Pulaski EMS would be encouraged to work harder to possibly receive a higher award level next year.
After the presentation, Keck asked Eubank for an update on how the south EMS station in Burnside is operating.
Eubank said that the Burnside Fire Department has provided a “nice place” for the crews to operate from. When the station first opened, it was manned for 12-hour days, but now that summer has kicked in, crews are staying there until 11 p.m.
“Unfortunately, they don’t get a lot of time to just sit around down there, because that station has been really busy,” he said, adding that it helps to decrease the amount of time between receiving a call and the arrival of EMS to that area.
———
©2019 the Commonwealth Journal (Somerset, Ky.)