UKC Medic One

Medic One

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EMS Week 2014

National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week will be celebrated this year from May 18 through May 24.  This marks the fortieth annual celebration of local Emergency Medical Services employees and volunteers.  The theme for the week, chosen by the American College of Emergency Physicians, is “Dedicated. For Life.”

Emergency Medical Services staff include first responders, emergency medical technicians or paramedics, with a progressively increasing level of training and experience required at each level.  

Most EMS staff in Kittitas County are unpaid first responders or emergency medical technicians who volunteer for Basic Life Support organizations.  However, one Advanced Life Support organization is available for 24/7 response in Upper Kittitas County, Upper Kittitas County Medic One. Advanced Life Support organizations always have at least one paramedic ready to respond to life-threatening emergencies.  Paramedics have the highest level of training among emergency responders and are able to perform advanced tasks like intubating a patient to open an airway.

Upper Kittitas County Medic One, which provides Advance Life Support ambulance service to Upper Kittitas County, has 20 career professionals who respond to emergency medical calls.  Their staff roster includes eight paramedics and 12 emergency medical technicians.  These 20 individuals respond from two stations in Upper Kittitas County using two primary ambulances, with one reserve ambulance.

The response provided by emergency medical services is critical to the survival of patients who experience a medical emergency.  Please join us in using National EMS Week as an opportunity to thank the volunteer and career first responders of Kittitas County.  

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Fred Benjamin Appointed to KCPHD2 Board of Commissioners

Fred Benjamin

On March 17, the Board of Commissioners for Kittitas County Public Hospital District No. 2 appointed Fred Benjamin to fill a vacant commissioner position.

Commissioners for Kittitas County Public Hospital District No. 2 are publicly elected to six-year terms; appointments occur when a position is vacated during an active term.  Mike Nevills held the vacated position from January 2006 until his death in December 2013.  

Fred is a lifelong resident of Kittitas County.  After graduating from Cle Elum High School in 1965 he completed a degree in Industrial Technology at Central Washington University.  He has recently retired from the Washington State Department of Transportation, where he ended his 34-year career as the Equipment Superintendent of the South Central Region.  In this position, he managed over 30 employees.

In addition to his career with the Washington State Department of Transportation, Fred acted as a volunteer with the Cle Elum Fire Department from 1975 through 2011.  During his years as a volunteer, he was active with both fire and emergency medical services response.  Though he retired from the fire department in 2011, he has maintained his emergency medical technician (EMT) certification so that he may provide training in first aid and CPR.

Fred is pleased to be able to devote more time to serving his community during his retirement.  He will serve until the November 2014 general election, at which time the position will be publicly elected. The successful candidate of this election will serve the remainder of the six-year term, which expires in 2017.  Fred will be eligible to run for the position during the November 2014 general election, if he so chooses.

Kittitas County Public Hospital District No. 2 is primarily funded by local property taxes.  It operates the only advanced life support ambulance service in Upper Kittitas County, Medic One.  The public hospital district also subsidizes a portion of the operations of KVH Urgent Care – Cle Elum to ensure access to after-hours care for Upper Kittitas County residents.

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Upper Kittitas County Medic One Requests Temporary Assistance with Operational Management

A recent turnover in management for Upper Kittitas County Medic One ambulance service has prompted a request for a temporary agreement assigning its operational management duties to Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue (KVFR).

The temporary agreement, projected to last six months, will be presented to the Board of Fire Commissioners for KVFR on March 13.  The interim solution will allow Upper Kittitas County Medic One time to explore its options before making a long term management decision; a contract extension is possible at the end of the six month period.

“Upper Kittitas County Medic One sought the assistance of KVFR because they are the only other advanced life support ambulance service within Kittitas County,” said Floyd Rogalski, President of Kittitas County Public Hospital District #2 (KCPHD#2), which operates Medic One.  “The KCPHD#2 Board of Commissioners prefers to work with a local provider of advanced life support.”

KVFR provides advanced life support ambulance service, fire, and rescue response for Lower Kittitas County.  The service was formed in 2007 when the City of Ellensburg Fire Department merged with Kittitas County Fire District No. 2.  This prior history of collaboration bodes well for a seamless Medic One management transition.  

“KVFR already provides back up advanced life support services for Upper Kittitas County Medic One,” stated Chief John Sinclair of KVFR.  “We are the logical local partner to ensure there is continuity of services for patients and the county wide service delivery system.”

This six month period will be critical for Medic One.  However, confidence that the temporary agreement will be successful is high.  

“We believe that a collaborative effort between KVFR and Upper Kittitas County Medic One will ensure the highest quality of care for our patients,” continued Rogalski.  “KVFR has expertise in running a cost-efficient, high quality operation.  They are well versed in personnel management and the day-to-day operations of a paramedic level ambulance service.”

Upper Kittitas County Medic One responded to 1,178 calls for service in 2013, resulting in 606 patient transports.  

KVFR responded to 3569 calls for service of which 2,828 were EMS calls in 2013, resulting in 2,013 patient transports.

KCPHD#2 has an agreement with Kittitas County Public Hospital District #1 (KCPHD#1) to provide management of its operations including management of the ambulance services through Upper Kittitas County Medic One.  KCPHD#1 does business as Kittitas Valley Healthcare and provides hospital, clinic, and specialty services in Kittitas County.  With support from KCPHD#2, Kittitas Valley Healthcare operates KVH Urgent Care – Cle Elum and KVH Family Medicine – Cle Elum, a primary care clinic.