2011 Archive

Lugar Center, Parke EMS partner in cardiac care

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Created on Wednesday, 28 December 2011 09:50

Union Hospital's Richard G. Lugar Center for Rural Health, a nationally recognized leader in the development of telemedicine services, has partnered with Parke County EMS to put a state-of-the-art solution in place for patients suffering from heart attacks. The program is designed to alert care providers that a heart attack is occurring at the first point of patient contact. This will allow patients suffering from certain types of heart attacks to be routed quickly to a facility that can offer time-sensitive treatment.

Staying true to their mission of "advancing rural health through education, innovation and collaboration," the Lugar Center continues to strive to reduce the barriers to receiving health care in rural communities. Thanks to a generous grant from HRSA's Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, the Lugar Center was able to provide two of Parke County's ambulances with laptop computers and devices that transmit the patient's heart tracing to care providers.

To kick off the project, paramedics at Parke County EMS participated in advanced training to identify heart attacks early on in the treatment process. The class was taught by Jack Jaeger, director of the RHIC Simulation Center. The Lugar Center is working with the Rural Health Innovation Collaborative to provide the EMS training.

If you or someone you know is experiencing one of the following symptoms call 911 immediately: Pain or pressure in the chest lasting more than a few minutes; pain in the arm, back, teeth or jaw; shortness of breath; pain in the upper abdomen; sweating; feelings of doom; fainting or dizziness; heartburn; clammy skin; nausea and vomiting. Ambulances are equipped with specialized equipment and personnel that are trained to address heart attack symptoms. A person should not delay treatment, or drive themselves to the emergency room. For more information about the project contact Angela Powell or Stephanie Laws at Union Hospital's Richard G. Lugar Center for Rural Health or visit www.therhic.org.

http://tribstar.com/features/x1750830390/Lugar-Center-Parke-EMS-partner-in-cardiac-care