Heart Smart Community Initiative

Winter 2016 Compassion, Excellence, and Community Service

F-M AMBULANCE SERVICE

VITAL SIGNS

Would you know what to do if someone that you love experienced sudden cardiac arrest? The Heart Smart

Community initiative is working to make sure that you do. F-M Ambulance Service is collaborating with key partners

in our community to help our residents have the best possible chance of survival after a sudden cardiac arrest.

FARGO MOORHEAD WEST FARGO DILWORTH

Heart Smart Communities

Sudden cardiac arrest is a condition in which the

heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating.

If this happens, blood stops flowing to the brain

and other vital organs. Sudden cardiac arrest

strikes approximately 326,200 to 395,000

individuals outside hospitals each year,

including an estimated 6,328 victims under the

age of 18. On average, about one in 10 victims

Information from www.sca-aware.org/schools/chain-of-survival

survives, though some high-performing communities have achieved survival rates of more than 60% for specific types

of cardiac arrest.

Because minutes count, the public plays a crucial role in saving lives threatened by sudden cardiac arrest. The

majority of people who survive sudden cardiac arrest receive immediate help from bystanders on scene. The time

between the onset of arrest and the provision of care determines the likelihood of survival. If treatment is not provided

within 10 minutes, the survival rate is close to zero.

One goal of the Heart Smart initiative is to strengthen the American Heart Association’s Chain of Survival. The Chain

of Survival outlines a series of actions that, when put into motion in rapid succession, help maximize the chances of

survival and recovery for victims of cardiac arrest. Bystanders play a crucial role in the first three links in the Chain

of Survival.

The Heart Smart Community kick-off event featured a 60-year-

old male who experienced sudden cardiac arrest at a softball

field in Fargo. Teammates started CPR immediately while the

umpire ran to get the AED at the facility. Working together, they

attached the defibrillator and shocked his heart, which then

began beating normally again. The patient woke up before any

emergency responders arrived. This case is a perfect example

of how community members can work together to have the best

chance to survive a sudden cardiac arrest.

What can you do as part of this initiative? Make sure you know

CPR and be familiar with the location of any AEDs near you.

Want to be more involved? Contact Kathy Lonski, 701-364-

1754 or Kathy.Lonski@fmambulance.com.

Save the Date! Save a Life Saturday – February 11, 2017

2017 Holiday Lights Parade Did You Know…

Did you know that every 90 seconds, someone dies of

cardiac arrest? If you collapse in the Fargo/Moorhead

area, what is the chance that someone will start CPR on

you? Nationally, approximately 40% of pre-hospital

cardiac arrest victims receive bystander CPR. In our

area only about 33% of pre-hospital cardiac arrest

victims receive CPR. The longer a cardiac arrest victim

goes without CPR the lower their chance of survival.

Most people who experience cardiac arrest at home,

work, or in a public location die because they don’t

receive immediate bystander CPR. By knowing CPR,

you could save the life of someone in cardiac arrest.

On Saturday, February 11, 2017 F-M Ambulance is teaming up with other EMS agencies from around our

community to host the fourth annual Save a Life Saturday at West Acres. Participants can learn hands-only CPR

in less than 4 minutes.

To learn more about hands-only CPR, stop by West Acres on Saturday, February 11 between 12:00 – 5:00 PM,

visit handsonlycpr.org, or go to www.fmambulance.com. You could be the person who makes a difference in

someone else’s life.

Every year, F-M Ambulance participates in the United

Way of Cass-Clay campaign. The 2016 campaign

raised over $1000 more than the previous year.

THANK YOU to all employees who participated!

2016 Highlights:

- The 2016 FMA Day of Caring team got to chat with

Vivian for a few hours

- Tom Taylor won the 2016 chili contest

- Trista Berg won the 2016 Selfie Scavenger Hunt

Thank you to Sam Wigginton, Bob Klein, Margaret

Klein, Kari DeVries and Nathaniel Dutt for representing

F-M Ambulance Service in the 2017 Holiday Lights

Parade! F-M Ambulance Service is always proud to

participate in this parade – it routinely attracts

thousands of spectators throughout the Fargo-

Moorhead community and includes hundreds of

participants that decorate their entries with lights.

Thank you to the Downtown Community Partnership

for organizing this great event!

Partnering for Better Blood Pressure Control

140/90. FMA partnered with a clinical pharmacist and pharmacy students from Family Healthcare in Fargo, North

Dakota to develop policies and procedures, promoted the program in conjunction with Sanford Health, and started

offering it to their patients in August 2016.

According to Jason Jordahl, FMA Community Paramedic, “Many patients did not realize they could check their blood

pressure at home. Now that they are doing it, seeing their numbers on a daily basis gives them peace of mind.”

Patients are encouraged to bring their daily pressures to their medical appointments and share them with their medical

team. Sherm Syverson, FMA Senior Director, understands the value of this program for vulnerable populations and

explains, “Many of the patients in the SMBP program are not able to access care due to mobility or transportation

issues. This program offers another way these patients can partner to manage their own care in their own home.”

What if your health depended on taking your own blood

pressure and interpreting the results but you lacked the

knowledge and training? This is a real issue for many people,

and community paramedics (CPs) in Fargo-Moorhead are

addressing it by teaching patients how to take their own blood

pressure with a cuff in their own home.

In January 2016, F-M Ambulance (FMA) Service Community

Paramedic Program met with PartnerSHIP 4 Health (PS4H) to

brainstorm how to support patients with high blood pressure.

PS4H offered funds and guidance to develop and implement

the Self-Measured Blood Pressure (SMBP) Monitoring

Program, which includes loaning a blood pressure cuff for

home use until the patient’s readings are consistently below

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Referrals to the program are made through Sanford Health’s primary care clinics,

walk-in clinic, and inpatient settings, and have resulted in varying outcomes. One

patient – an 89-year-old female – was seen at the walk-in clinic. She had a history

of high blood pressure identified during an inpatient stay. She did not have a primary

care provider and had not regularly seen a doctor in many years. Before meeting

with a CP, she was on a medication to control her blood pressure with little

effect. After enrolling in SMBP, she had consistent morning readings of 179/90 –

190/110 with slightly lower readings in the evening of 150/90-160/100. She learned

about the effects of long-term uncontrolled blood pressure and was urged to connect

with a provider to manage her blood pressure. CPs continue to visit her, monitor her

blood pressure readings and encourage her to manage her high blood pressure.

Another patient, a 78-year-old female, was referred to CPs by an Internal Medicine provider who wanted some insight

into the patient’s home environment. The patient’s blood pressure readings varied widely and the patient had

experienced heart failure, heart attack, enlarged heart, post-gastric bypass, pacemaker insertion, atrial fibrillation,

memory loss and cognitive issues. During the initial home visit, the CP showed her how to use the home monitoring

equipment. Initially, she had difficulty using the blood pressure cuff, but the CP continued to help. After a few days of

home blood pressure monitoring, her readings decreased from 190/100 to 130/80. The CPs continue to track her

results and talk with her and her provider.

According to Syverson, “Prolonged unmanaged high blood pressure often leads to stroke and prolonged nursing

home stays, which is an expensive way to manage health care. PartnerSHIP 4 Health promotes preventive care,

innovatively bringing community paramedics, pharmacists and clinics together to make an impact on blood pressure.

PartnerSHIP 4 Health connects the dots, and together, we are teaching patients how to manage their care at home.

It also increases patient satisfaction and lowers overall health care costs.”

The Clinical Corner Hypertension

What is hypertension?

Hypertension is another name for high blood pressure. This happens

when the force of blood flowing through your blood vessels is

consistently too high. Hypertension can cause microscopic tears in

your arteries; over time, this may increases risk of your blood vessels

becoming blocked or bursting.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause serious harm to your

body. It can cause problems by damaging your heart and coronary

arteries. High blood pressure is the leading risk factor for heart

attacks, heart disease, and congestive heart failure. It can also be a

cause of stroke, kidney damage and vision loss. Blood pressure is the force applied to artery walls.

Approximately 80 million Americans have high blood pressure – this is one in every three adults over the age of 20.

In most cases there are no clear warning signs or symptoms. The best way to know if you have high blood pressure

is to have it checked by your physician.

Risks factors for high blood pressure

- Family history

- Advanced age

- Lack of physical activity

- Overweight and obesity

- Drinking too much alcohol

- Smoking

- High stress levels

- Poor diet, especially one that includes a lot of sodium

Know You Numbers by:

- Checking your blood pressure

- Changing your lifestyle with physical activity and healthy foods.

- Control high blood pressure while working with your health provider

B.L.A.S.T.

The Sanford Health EMS Education department is offering Babysitting

Lessons and Safety Training (B.L.A.S.T.) Day Camp. The course is geared

for babysitters ages 11 – 15 and will cover the responsibilities of caring for

children using scenario-based learning. Participants will learn CPR and first

aid for children, along with learning when and how to call 9-1-1 and what will

happen if they do need emergency assistance. The course runs from 9 AM

– 3 PM, and pizza and pop are provided for lunch.

For course dates, cost, more information, or to register, go to

www.sanfordhealthemseducation.org and click on “other programs” or call

701-364-1750. Courses fill quickly, so register soon!

Opening July 2017

Did You Know… Welcome to the Team!

Dillon Folkerts EMT Fargo

Sandra Hanson EMT Fargo

Bree Hoffman EMT Hillsboro

Kenton Pust EMT Thief River Falls

James Seefeldt Paramedic Fargo

Lindsay Skavlem EMT Fargo

Stephanie Tegtmeier EMT Fargo

Taylor Woods EMT Thief River Falls

Josh Zetocha Pararmedic Fargo

In July 2017 the new Sanford hospital will

open in Fargo, which will bring some new

challenges to our service. F-M Ambulance

uses a sophisticated system called

System Status Management that allows us

to post ambulances in the areas where the

most need is. We exceed industry

standard response times by using this

system. We plan to add three more

locations at which we post ambulances

across the metro area, increasing the

number from seven to 10 in order to

ensure our response times are quick no

matter where people live. When the

Emergency Department is moved to the

new medical center, there will be an

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ambulance posted at the old campus for an undetermined amount of time to cover that area in case people are

unaware of the new hospital or its location.

Thief River Falls Area Ambulance

TRFAA has been busy with community activities this

fall. We had fun helping a local Boy Scout troop achieve

their first aid badge. Each Scout put together his own

first aid kit and as a group, they assembled one larger

kit that will be used in their future scouting adventures.

Our crews also taught hands-only CPR at a health fair

and helped with the Teddy Bear clinic that was put on

by the Early Childhood Family Education program.

TRFAA crews had fun carving two large pumpkins that

were donated from Hugo’s. The pumpkins were

displayed outside the headquarters for Halloween.

Thank you, Hugo’s!

Hillsboro Ambulance Service team members have

recently started their annual CPR training for

sophomores at Hillsboro High School. The goal is to

certify all sophomores in American Heart Association’s

Heartsaver CPR.

Winter Driving Tips Provided by the Clay County Safe Roads Coalition

See a snowplow? Here are some additional tips to keep you safe:

- Be patient, and remember that snowplows are working to improve road conditions for your trip

- Slow down – allow at least five car lengths, and preferably 10, between your vehicle and the plow

- Stay behind the snowplow and watch for plows turning or exiting

- Plows may travel over centerlines or partially in traffic to further improve road conditions

- Don’t drive into a snow cloud

Since winter is here, it’s time to remember some basic

winter driving tips!

- Pay attention

- Turn on your headlights and wear your seatbelt

- Turn off your cruise control when the roads are

slippery, wet or snow-covered

- Let your engine warm up while you clear off any snow

or ice on your car.

- Remember to clear snow off of the front and rear lights

and all windows.

- Check weather reports with the State Highway

Department before leaving for trips.

- Try not to travel if blizzard conditions are expected.

- - Carry a car safety kit – this should include blankets, matches, candles, high energy dry foods, a flashlight with spare

batteries, a first aid kit, map, ice scraper, flares, tow and battery jumping cables, folding shovel, a bag of sand, winter

gloves, cell phone, and an emergency HELP sign that you can put in the back window if you need help.

- Decelerate well in advance of a stopping point or turn.

- Bridges and overpasses freeze quickly, be careful on these surfaces.

- Always keep your gas tank at least half full in case you get stuck somewhere.

- Make sure your windshield wipers are in good shape and work well.

- Check your tires. Make sure they are properly inflated and the tread is in good condition.

- Be more observant. Visibility is often limited in winter by weather conditions. Slow down and watch for vehicles that

have flashing lights, such as snowplows.

- Allow extra time to get places when weather is not perfect.

- If stalled, stay with your vehicle and try to conserve fuel while maintaining warmth.

- Always wear your seatbelt – it could save your life.

F-M Ambulance Service is proud to be a member of the Clay County

Safe Roads Coalition. The Safe Roads Coalition is a group of people

and organizations that work together to reduce fatal and serious injury

crashes in Clay County through preventative measures in

engineering, education, EMS and enforcement. Priority areas for the

Clay County Safe Roads Coalition include:

- Awareness and education

- Distracted driving

- Impaired driving

- Seat belts and child restraints

- Teen driver safety

- Worksite training

The Coalition’s purpose is to identify, initiate and implement strategies

which will help reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on

Clay County roads.

We hope that you have enjoyed this edition of Vital Signs, a quarterly newsletter distributed by F-M Ambulance. An electronic edition of Vital Signs can be found on our website, www.fmambulance.com. If you have any ideas, questions, or comments about Vital Signs, please contact Kristi at 701-364-1759, or kristi.engelstad@fmambulance.com.

The Sanford Health EMS Education team has been

busy! Check out all of the exciting things happening

at SHEMSE!

The EMS Education Department had a very busy fall!

- Our EMS recertification classes are in full swing. If you are recertifying in 2017 and need NCCR hours, please

check our website for upcoming dates and times.

- Our most recent initial EMR course had a 100% pass rate – we are excited for these new responders to start

their EMS careers!

- Our EMT class is working with the state of ND and the NREMT to pilot a program that changes the practical

skills test to a scenario-based exam. We are testing this pilot on our second EMT class and it is going well.

Our hope is that this change will better prepare EMT graduates to respond to emergencies. If all goes well,

the pilot will be expanded across North Dakota in the next few years.

- Have you ever thought about becoming a paramedic? Our spring 2017 Advanced EMT (AEMT) course is a

good way to get a head-start and to finish any pre-requisites that you may be missing. Several credits from

the AEMT course count toward the paramedic program. Call Tom with any questions you may have – 701-

364-1737.

- The current NDSCS Paramedic Program has a good group of 32 students. They are starting their clinical and

ambulance rotations soon, so our fellow public safety providers will soon start to see the grey student shirts

with our crews.

- Our very first Community Paramedic course started this semester. CP students will be done with their lectures

and labs in December; in January they will start their clinicals at all of the major hospitals and clinics in the

Fargo/Moorhead area.

- We are currently looking CPR and First Aid instructors. If you have ever thought about teaching CPR or are

looking for a little extra income, please give Trista a call at 701-364-1711. We will be holding a CPR and First

Aid instructor course on January 20, 2017.

- SHEMSE has been busy at conferences and health career events this fall (see pictures below)!