1

This Week:

Road Safety 3

Training Schedule

7

Medic Calendar 8

In-Service Overview

8

Employee Highlight

5

Incentive Shifts 2

With the turning of the calendar on July 1st, Medic closed the books on FY ‘09 and began FY 2010. For many within Medic this transition occurs with little fanfare or notice. From an operational perspective, however, it allows us to close the books on a specific timeframe and evaluate the Agency’s performance against prior years, in addition to comparing our results against the plans we put forth for FY ‘09 at the beginning of the fiscal year.

From a financial perspective, Shelly Forward and her team are still working on closing the books for the end of year audit that occurs annually. Once those numbers are finalized and signed off on, they will become public knowledge.

Some early data that we do have immediate access to pertains to our workload as an EMS system over the past year. Medic has never had a year where call volume and transports didn’t increase from the previous year; FY ‘09 was no exception – though the relatively flat start certainly had people wondering if this would be the first year volume didn’t increase.

Medic predicted and budgeted for a 5% increase in transport volume for FY 2009. Though the Agency tracked relatively flat for the first seven months of the year, the last five months were busy enough to increase Medic’s overall call volume by 3.36% and transport volume by nearly 3% for the year as compared to FY ‘08.

The growth in non emergency transports (NET) represented the greatest increase to the system, posting a 19.24% increase in demand over the number of NET transports Medic facilitated in FY ‘08.

This is just a quick look at a few of the measures the Agency will reflect on in the coming months as we continue to find better ways to meet patient needs in light of ever increasing demand. Please stay tuned to MedTV, The Pulse and The Medic Dispatch for future updates.

REMINDER: Clocking In and Out

July Rings in the New Fiscal Year at Medic

News From The Front Line July 13 - 17, 2009

The MEDIC Dispatch

The scheduling department is still receiving several employee timesheets with time punches missing. PLEASE remember to clock in at the beginning of your shift and out at the end of your shift. Clocking in and out incorrectly not only affect you, it affects our employees in the scheduling department and in payroll.

In addition, please be diligent about NOT clocking out early. If you clock out even a minute before your shift is complete, you will loose a half point from your attendance score. You may clock out early only if it is approved by your supervisor.

Again, if you miss punches it will be reflected in your paycheck and it will reflect in your attendance score.

If you are still having trouble using the new Kronos system or need clarification, please stop by the scheduling department or call 6234.

Mecklenburg EMS

Agency

Dates to Remember:

BEGINS NEXT WEEK

July 21st In-Service

July 27th Medic Blood Drive

August 22nd Final Heart Walk

Team Needed

Medic Call Growth Comparison: FY 08 vs. FY 09

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

Call Type

Qua

ntity FY08

FY09

FY08 9470 83674 93144 71704

FY09 11292 84981 96273 73839

NET Call Volume 911 Call Volume Total Call Volume Total Transports

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Looking for Paramedics ! This is your opportunity to help choose your team. Medic is currently recruiting Paramedics for the next Paramedic Assessment Center which will be held at Post 100 on Saturday, July 18 at 8 am.

If you know of any qualified candidates, whether a new graduate or a veteran , have them contact Charvetta Ford-McGriff at charvettaf@medic911.com or at 704.943.6089.

Remember each candidate that is referred by a current employee, the current employee is entitled to a $3000 referral bonus. In addition, the new paramedic hire is eligible for the $3000 sign on bonus.  

UPDATE: Incentive Shifts

Operations has just announced that Incentive Shifts are being offered again on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis. Currently, incentive shifts are being added to weekends. Below is a list of the shifts that are available for this upcoming Saturday and Sunday (July 18th and 19th).

If you would like to sign up for a shift below, YOU MUST contact the scheduling department— 6234 or 6237.

If you have any questions about incentive shifts or scheduling, please contact Bryan Edwards - bryane@medic911.com or 6130.

POST 100 INFORMATION:

Employee Showers

After using the employee showers PLEASE REMEMBER to pick up the shower mats!

The Post 100 housekeeping staff is not responsible for picking up the mats - so please be mindful and pick up the mats after every use!

If employees continue to leave mats on the floor after showering, they will be taken out of the showers. Thanks for your help!

Don’t Forget to Visit Medic’s New Website!

www.medic911.com - Click on Medic Employees

Video News Coverage Update Weekly - Current Edition of The Pulse - Dispatch and Injections Archives

Saturday - July 18th, 2009

0445 - 1515

0545 - 1515

0745 - 2145

2045 - 0245 (two shifts)

Sunday - July 19th, 2009

0345 - 1245 (two shifts)

0645 - 1545

0645 - 1845

1615 - 0415

1815 - 0615

Summertime Reminders from ‘Nurse Kim’

It is of course summertime and many people will be spending their day off sunning by the pool or heading out to the beach. Kim Kuriger wanted to reminder everyone the signs of skin cancer and precautions you should take to protect yourself.

What is nonmelanoma skin cancer?

Skin Cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in the skin. It is the most common type of cancer. It is almost always cured when it is found early and treated. So it is impor-tant to see your doctor if you have changes in your skin.

What causes it?

Nonmelanoma skin cancer is usually caused by too much sun. Using tanning beds or sunlamps too often can also cause it.

There are two types of nonmelanoma skin cancer:

Basal cell carcinoma: Most nonmelanoma cancers are this type. It can damage deeper tissues, such as muscles and bones. It almost never spreads to other parts of the body.

Squamous cell carcinoma: This type is less common. It often starts in skin that has been injured or diseased. It sometimes spreads to other parts of the body.

If you would like more information on skin cancer and to find out ways to protect your skin during the summertime, please stop by Kim Kuriger’s office or contact her at 6100.

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2009 Star t ! Char lotte Heart Walk

Are you still in interested in joining the Medic Heart Walk team? Well there are still open slots. Just log on to www.startcharlottenc.org and help Medic fight Heart Disease and Stroke!

Medic has teamed up with Mecklenburg County to help fight heart disease and stroke by participating in the 2009 Start! Charlotte Heart Walk. The Heart Walk will take place on Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 9 am with a 3 mile walk through Uptown. The goal for Charlotte is set at $1,700,000 and Medic, along with the County, are looking to help the Charlotte American Heart Association reach their goal!

For more information on the Heart Walk - please contact Kristin Young in the Public Relations Department (kristiny@medic911.com or 6165).

ALL Interested employees should log on to the 2009 Start! Charlotte Heart Walk website to learn more about the walk itself and joining Medic’s team

Road Safety: Backing Information Road safety is extremely important here at Medic. Our overall road safety scores have been averaging a score of 8 the past couple of months. – which is great. We want to continue this trend. According to Alan Manes, major accidents at intersections and on the roadways have been down. We are, however, still having more minor incidents in parking lots than we would like to see. Things like swapping of mirrors, pulling out shore lines and trading paint with other vehicles happen more than they should – and every one of these instances works against the Agency’s budget. We do carry insurance, but these types of incidents don’t do enough damage to warrant a claim – so we pay for them directly out of our vehicle maintenance and repair budget. If we are able to reduce the amount we spend in this area, it will help the Agency’s overall bottom line – which is a very good thing. To give you an idea of what these items cost the Agency, consider this: In FY 2009, Medic was involved in 78 incidents that directly cost the Agency more than $32,000. These include 28 struck stationary objects, 8 mirror replacements, and 18 struck vehicles. Many of these incidents happened while backing up – which everyone knows needs to be done with a spotter each and every time to be perfectly safe. Please do your part and exercise the safety standards you’ve been taught during driving school. It can save a life, help Medic’s overall budget, and keep your personal driving score from taking a nose dive.

PCR REMINDER: Patient Billing Address

Reminder to Field Personnel: Do not substitute the patient pick up point for the proper billing address, UNLESS they are one in the same address.

Have a story from the Field or CMED?

Share it with the PR Department!

Contact Kristin (6165 -kristiny@medic911.com)

or Jeff (6160 -jeffk@medic911.com)

Did You Know ??

** Shore Lines - $80 for line/ $100 on truck

** Mirrors - $450 each

** Rear Bumpers - $1400 each

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IT UPGRADES On Wednesday, July 15th, Medic was experiencing some connection 

issues with wireless cards, computers and phones.  To update 

everyone, there was a nationwide system outage at Alltel.  The 

problem began around 5:00 pm on Wednesday, however, Alltel 

identified the issue and everything was working close to normal about 

an hour later.  

Currently Alltel is are merging with Verizon so problems like this may 

occur until their final system transfer is completed.  

Members of IT will be meeting with the new Verizon representatives next week to discuss 

any changes that may be occurring because of the merge.  Changes should not affect our 

system, but glitches like yesterday may occur until the merge is complete. 

IT wanted to make sure that everyone was aware of the company merge and will notify 

employees if any changes will be made or if unforeseen problems arise.    

If you are experiencing any trouble with computer connections in the field, please contact 

your Supervisor or an Operations Assistant immediately.  

If you have any questions, please contact IT Department Help Line ‐ 6111.   

Overview of July In-Service Continued from Last Edition: The headliner topic for July’s in service training for field personnel is the annual Radiological Emergency Response training provided by representatives from the McGuire Nuclear Power Station and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Office of Emergency Management.

Medic is unique in that we provide EMS to the only known city in the world that has two separate nuclear power stations (a total of four nuclear reactors) within 25 miles of the center of the community. Ordinarily, EMS systems that serve a community with one nuclear power station must complete this type of training every two years; since Medic has two separate nuclear power stations in the area, this Agency’s training requirement is annual.

This training is mandated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

This month’s in service will also focus on the transmission of ECG’s from the field to the hospital, which will be hosted by Steven Ward. The session will open with a brief Medic Update delivered by Executive Director Joe Penner or another member of Medic’s Leadership Team.

Please remember that the doors to the training room will be locked to all personnel precisely 5 minutes after a given session’s scheduled start time. All personnel are expected to be in uniform for this training.

A full schedule of this month’s in service sessions can be found on page 8 of this edition of The Medic Dispatch. Sign up sheets are out in the bay area and filling fast, so please be sure to reserve your slot in the training session of your choice.

The Pulse

The latest edition of THE PULSE is now airing on MED-TV and is posted to the Employees’ page

on the Medic website!

Log in to watch our Medic crews in action at this year’s

Speed Street! Check out inter-views with a few Medic

employees who worked the three day event.

If you have a story idea that you would like to see featured on

The Pulse, please contact Doug

Bell at dougb@medic911.com.

Don’t forget to keep checking The Pulse!

IMPORANT UPDATE: 12-Lead ECG Strips

All copies of 12-lead ECG strips must be turned in to the OA for scanning at the completion of your shift until further no-tice. This applies to all instances where a monitor was applied to the patient – regardless of whether the electronic integration

of the 12-lead was successful. If you are having any difficulty integrating the 12-lead ECG between the monitor and the ePCR, please contact Steven Ward at (704) 943-6206 or stevenw@medic911.com.

Actual Photo of McGuire Nuclear Power Station located on Lake Norman in Mecklenburg County, operated by Duke Power

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‘B ig Bi l l ’ Volunteer ing at Local Footbal l Camp Summer is the ultimate time for all types kids’ camps - sports’ camp, drama camp, nature camp. There are many camp choices for kids in Mecklenburg County and one of our employees is volunteering his time to help local young athletes hone their football skills.

Medic paramedic ‘Big Bill’ Boring plays on a semi-pro football team called the Carolina Cobras. The Carolina Cobras is a team made up of area first responders including Medic, CMPD, CFD and the sheriffs department. Annually, the Cobras raise money and

participate in events that benefit children in Mecklenburg County. This summer Bill is volunteering his time, along with other members of the Cobras, to help teach underprivileged kids the game of football.

For the next two weekends, Bill will be teaching fifty to sixty young athletes the

techniques and plays used in football. Once the kids complete this program, they will be offered a spot to play on a football league in Mecklenburg County, or to participate in another athletic program.

We commend Bill for volunteering his time to educate the kids in our community! If you

have something you would like to share in the Dispatch, please let Kristin know (6165).

For more information on the Carolina Cobras log on to www.carolinacobras.org.

Volunteer Opportunity Medical Services is looking for someone willing to serve as a “victim” during our annual radiological emergency response drill scheduled for Friday, August 7.

This drill evaluates Medic’s response to a patient contaminated with a radioactive material and is evaluated by an inspector with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The drill begins at 7:00 a.m. and should be concluded by lunch time. As a victim, you would be assessed by a Medic crew, packaged and transported to Carolinas Medical Center where you will be handed over to ED personnel. The exercise continues with ED staff being assessed by FEMA on their ability to manage a contaminated patient.

You would need to wear clothing that you don’t mind having cut off. If you are interested in assisting with this exercise, please e-mail Michael Stanford at Michaels@medic911.com.

Are you Looking for Medic Movie Tickets??

Contact either Miki (michellep@medic911.com) or

Pat (patriciav@medic911.com) -

or stop by the front desk during the hours of 8 am - 5 pm

National Bike for MS

The Carolinas ‘Biketober’

Challenge is taking place October 3-4,2009. This two-day ride is held each year by the National MS

Society. Funds support pro-grams that enhance the lives of people living with MS and

research that will help

create a world free of MS.

Route Options:

100-mile - Winthrop University

20, 40 and 75 mile - Fluor Field Greenville, SC

If interested - Visit: www.bikemsgreenville.org

or Call 800.FIGHT.MS

MEDIC STORE

Do you need to purchase an item from the Medic Store?

Please contact Kristin in the Public Relations Department (kristiny@medic911.com or 6165)

or stop by her office during the hours of 8 am - 5 pm

Big Bill as GigantiClaus in December

Message from Rebecca Hamilton Rebecca Hamilton would like to thank everyone for their continued support and prayers for her husband Scott as their family works through his difficult battle with cancer.

Recently, they found out that Scott’s cancer is terminal and Rebecca wanted to update those who have been thinking and praying for them over the past year.

There are a lot of people here at Medic who trying to follow along with Scott’s situation, so Rebecca wanted to make everyone aware of the following websites that are dedicated to providing regular up-dates:

Caring Bridge: www.caringbridge.org/visit/scotthamilton

Facebook: Search for ‘scottsguardianangels’

Please continue to keep Rebecca and her family in your thoughts and prayers through this difficult time.

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Medic Wel lness Committee

Mecklenburg EMS Agency is in the final process of starting a Comprehensive Wellness Program and your input is needed! You can help by completing a short wellness survey. The survey is completely anonymous, and it should only take you a few minutes. The survey will be distributed to all employees via email. It's very important that we hear from everyone in order to make our new wellness program successful. This will give Kim Kuriger a chance to find employees that are interested in being involved on the wellness committee and what you the employee what most interests you in your wellness program. So, please complete your survey as soon as you receive it by email, and urge your coworkers to do the same! Please submit your survey to the Occupational Health Nurse/Risk and Safety office no later than July 24th, 2009. In addition: The committee is in need of a Brand (Slogan) for wellness and a Logo. If you are talented in drawing or poetry (slogan) there will be a contest coming shortly. Hint (there will be a prize). The Winning Brand and Logo will be determined by the Wellness committee. For more information about the Wellness Committee and the committee ‘Brand’ contest, please contact Kim Kuriger at 6100 or stop by her office.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer

Interested in participating in the 2009 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer? The two day thirty-nine mile walk will take place on Saturday, October 24th and Sunday, October 25th.

Participants will walk up to 26.2 miles on Saturday and 13.1 miles on Sunday.

If you would like more information on the walk - or to register, volunteer or donate please visit www.avonwalk.org or call 1.888.488.WALK.

Announcements?

Stories from the Field?

Reminders?

Protocol Updates?

If you would like (or need) an article published in the Medic Dispatch, please feel free to

contact Jeff Keith (jeffk@medic911.com) and

Kristin Young (kristiny@medic911.com).

All articles/information must be received by 12 noon each

Wednesday before publication.

The Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act 2009 directed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to set up a program to make it easier for consumers to purchase an environmentally-friendly vehicle: The Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS).

• Issues a credit toward the purchase of a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle, when trade in is less fuel-efficient.

• $3500 or $4500 rebate (depends on type of vehicle)

• Trade in must be less than 25 years old

• Rebate is good for purchase or lease of new vehicles only

• Trade-in in must get 18 MPG or less, must be registered and insured for a full year preceding the trade-in.

• Don’t need a voucher

• Trade-in vehicle is required to be destroyed

• Program runs through November 1, 2009 or when the funds are exhausted.

For more information visit www.lgfcu.org or 888.732.8562 or contact Charvetta in Human Resources (charvettaf@medic911.com or 6089).

LGFCU: Car Allowance Rebate System

Human Resources and Benefit Information

REMINDER: All surveys are due by Friday, July 24th - if you need a survey, contact Kim Kuriger (6100)

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Ten Questions for… Kristi Rhinehart, CMED

4.Who has been an inspiration to you?

My husband; he teaches me perseverance and patience every day. He always pushes me to do my best work even when I am unmotivated. Thanks honey!

5.What is your favorite movie?

Top Gun!

6.What is your hidden talent?

I can play the flute.

7.What do you like to do when you’re not at work?

Hangout at home, enjoy married life, and kayak.

2009 Training Schedule

AHA Refresher Classes at Medic CLASS TIME: 1300-1700 - **except where otherwise noted LOCATION: MEDIC AUDITORIUM CPR JULY 20 JULY 23 & 30 = 1800-2200 OCT 9, 12, 16, 19, OCT 22 & 29 = 1800-2200 PALS AUG 7, 10, 14, 17, AUG 20 & 27 = 1800-2200 NOV 6, 9, 13, 16 ACLS SEPT 4, 7, 11, 14, SEPT 17 & 24 = 1800-2200 DEC 4, 7, 11, 14

NC Scope of Practice Recertification Testing

EXP DATES OCT – DEC 2009

SEPT 18, 19, 21, 25, 26

EXP DATES JAN – MAR 2010

DEC 11, 12, 18, 19, 21

If you have any questions or to register for a class PLEASE contact the Education Coordinator at extension 6143.

1.Where are you from?

Arizona

2.Where did you go to school?

I’m currently in University of Phoenix online getting my BA in Psychology

3.How long have you been at Medic/ in EMS?

Medic for 2 years and in 911 communications for 8 years

Mark Your Calendars!

The Medic Community Blood Drive is scheduled for Monday, July 27, 2009 from 12:00PM to 3:00 PM.

The drive will take place at Post 100 on the Community Blood Mobile.

To register, contact Kim Kuriger at 6100 or at www.cbcc.us/donate and enter sponsor code MEDIC.

8. If you could meet one per-son, dead or alive, who would it be?

I would want to meet my mother again, get to know her as an adult.

9. What is the last book you’ve read?

A psychology book related to my current class.

10.What are 5 things you can’t live without?

1. God, 2. Asa, 3. Kaitlyn, 4. Hmmm...that’s it! Everything else is just a bonus.

Want to be featured in ‘Ten Questions’? Email your answers to Kristin Young at

kristiny@medic911.com

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL CLASSES - ALL CLASSES HELD IN MEDIC AUDITORIUM

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Visit Us on the Web! www.medic911.com

2009 In-Ser vice Train ing

Continuing Education lectures have been scheduled from now through the end of July. Additional dates after July will be announced as soon as they are available.

Current plans call for a resumption of simulation rotations after the Labor Day holiday in September. All sessions will be held in the auditorium of MEDIC headquarters.

Sign up sheets are posted in the truck bay by the restock shelves. Sign up for all in-service sessions is mandatory.

JULY 2009

Tuesday, July 21: 6p – 10p Thursday, July 23: Noon – 4p

Friday, July 24: 8a – Noon Monday, July 27: 8a – Noon and 6p – 10p

Wednesday, July 29: 6p – 10p

MEDIC Mecklenburg EMS Agency

4525 Statesville Road Charlotte, NC 28269

Tel: 704-943-6000 Fax: 704-943-6001

July 2009 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 B

2 B 3 A

Admin Offices

Closed

4 A

Independence Day

5 A 6 B 7 B 8 A 9 A 10 B

CPR refresher

1300 –1700

11 B

12 B 13 A

CPR refresher

1300 –1700

14 A 15 B 16 B 17 A

CPR refresher

1300 –1700

18 A

19 A 20 B

CPR refresher

1300 –1700

21 B

In-Service

1800—2200

22 A 23 A

In-Service

1200—1600

CPR refresher

1800—2200

24 B

In-Service

0800—1200

25 B

26 B 27 A

In-Service

0800—1200 and

1800—2200

Blood Drive

28 A 29 B

In-Service

1800—2200

30 B

CPR refresher

1800—2200

31 A

In-Service Blue

Training Red

Medic Events Green

Holidays Purple

Medic Calendar

ALL Employees MUST be in UNIFORM at the July 2009 In-Service Trainings. The trainings are mandated by FEMA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

FOR AN OVERVIEW OF THE JULY IN-SERVICE PLEASE SEE DISPATCH PAGE 4