LULING – St. Charles Emergency Medical Services continues to grow with the introduction of three brand new ambulances that are equipped to serve the community with an unprecedented level of quality care.
St. Charles EMS’s three new ambulances are now fully operational and include the latest in equipment for cardiac treatment. This technology makes each unit capable of performing hospital-level care immediately. The use of this cutting-edge technology allows physicians and/or cardiologists to have the proper treatment protocols in place before a patient arrives in the emergency department. This means a higher quality of rapid and thorough care.
“The Paramedics having the ability to transmit a 12 lead EKG (electrocardiogram) for review by a cardiologist from the field is an enormous step forward. The transmitted 12-lead electro data allows our physicians to confirm a severe heart attack and link pre-hospital, emergency room and cardiac treatment teams to help in the amount of time it takes for the patient to see the doctor,” said Ken Rousseau, director of emergency medical services at St. Charles Parish Hospital.
Each new unit is also equipped with the Zoll AutoPulse system. The Zoll AutoPulse system provides hands-free, constant and consistent chest compressions on a patient, allowing caregivers to perform additional life saving measures. This reduces the amount of time the patient goes without chest compressions, improves blood flow for cardiac arrest victims and ensures clinical safety. Also present in each new unit is the Power-Load Stretcher System. This innovative system allows patients to be lifted and lowered into and out of the ambulance by using hydraulics that can support up to 700 pounds. This one-touch system provides for reduced patient and operator injuries.
Rousseau said, “Our fleet is constantly on the road as we have responded to about 7,369 emergency calls in the last 16 months. These new ambulances, with our highly-skilled paramedic providers as well as all the equipment we have on board, it is like having a hospital on wheels. It is definitely going to provide a higher level of care to the residents of St. Charles Parish and improve our ability to cover the 448 square miles that we are responsible for in parish.”
All three of the new ambulances were funded by the community of St. Charles Parish after the April 2012 millage was passed. The Proposition on the ballot asked voters of the parish to allow the hospital to issue $15 million in bonds to fund several vital capital projects.