Pulsara, the leading mobile telehealth, communication, and logistics platform that unites healthcare teams and technologies across organizations during dynamic events, published new details on Arkansas-based Saline Memorial Hospital’s record improvements in patient care. The Saline Memorial Hospital Case Study reveals the unique challenges care teams were facing with a rapidly growing and dispersed population, and the solutions they found to markedly reduce treatment times, establish secure and reliable ECG transmissions, and improve real-time care team communication.

As the only American College of Cardiology Accredited Chest Pain Center in rural Saline County, Saline Memorial Hospital was looking for a way to reduce their treatment times for patients arriving via EMS. According to the ACC and the AHA, the standard door-to-balloon time is 90 minutes; however, Saline Memorial was struggling to keep up, with a median of 105 minutes. With the help of Pulsara, within four months they were able to drop this time by 28% to 75 minutes—15 minutes under the ACC and AHA recommendation.

“That’s the difference between someone living and dying when you get to them that quick, because as heart attacks evolve, that patient is at risk for going into cardiogenic shock and having arrhythmia issues,” shared Jeannie Otts, RT, R, CV, ARRT, Cardiac Cath Lab Director. “By putting the team in motion and moving towards that patient earlier, and having this communication that we can all see and use at the same time, it makes a difference in the outcome.”

Otts attributes the major difference in cutting down those first medical contact-to-device times to the reliable and efficient ECG transmission available through the Pulsara platform. “That’s been the key factor that we—the whole team, from the ED, the cardiologists, and the Cath lab team—are able to get that ECG in one transmission. We all see it and know what we’re dealing with early on. We’re not having to wait until the patient gets here to say, ‘Oh yeah, this is a STEMI, call the team out.’”

Another prominent benefit Saline Memorial care teams have experienced from the Pulsara platform is improvement in their team communication—resulting in even better patient care.

“Once [the ECG] comes through, everyone knows who has been activated and who has seen it,” said Otts. “As we are starting to use [Pulsara] more, we are also utilizing the chat tool more to talk about the patients and send over that information. So it’s changed many parts of our communication in STEMI. It’s a good system where you can close the loop and get all that information back to the teams who started on the front end—they can see where they ended it all.”

After seeing the success Saline Memorial’s STEMI team has had with Pulsara, the hospital looks forward to expanding its usage of the app into additional units, such as trauma and stroke—and encouraging other Arkansas health systems to do the same. “We’re wanting to bring trauma and stroke online,” said Otts. “The more we use it, the more it becomes second nature… We’re able to not just cut down our first medical contact-to-device time, but also change our outcomes. Pulsara just touches so many facets of those patients.”

For more details and access to the full report on how Saline Memorial reduced treatment times, established secure and reliable ECG transmissions, and improved real-time care team communication, download the case study here.

About Saline Memorial Hospital

Saline Memorial Hospital is the only American College of Cardiology A

The Frankfort (KY) Board of Commissioners recently approved the Frankfort Fire Department’s request for $100,000 for the next phase of developing its Station 1 designs, site assessments, and construction documents, reports state-journal.com.

Department officials presented a feasibility study conducted for the new facility, the report says. The current fire station is shared with City Hall and the previous Frankfort Plant Board office.

Presented was a detailed update showing work to improve the current station over four years, the history of the current locations, numerous site assessments, and other such info. They also showed current building schematic designs, layouts, and visual renderings, according to the report.

Officials say they’ll keep monitoring for potential grants, but, to progress, several other phases need to be completed if they want to break ground in July.

Watch the board meeting here:

The Northumberland (PA) Hook and Ladder Fire Company recently agreed to purchase a 2023 Spartan/Rescue 1 20-foot walk-around. Officials estimate it will be delivered within 18 months—mid-2023.

The current 1997 rescue—the most-used department apparatus—is in need of replacement. Costly repairs have rendered the unit replaceable, a report on dailyitem.com says.

Council recently voted to borrow $700,000 over a 10-year period at a fixed interest rate of 3.33%, according to the report. Officials say the apparatus will cost just under $800,000.

Fire officials plan to develop specs with the manufacturer before they travel to the factory for final approval.

The newest addition to the Powassan (Ontario, Canada) Fire Department’s fleet is Ladder 1, a 105-foot aerial donated by two people, Frank Giannopoulos and Tom McEvoy.

The apparatus, which is housed at Station 1, is 20 years old and arrived at the department just before Christmas.

“Christmas came a bit early this year for the Municipality of Powassan Fire Department!” Powassan Mayor Peter McIsaac says on Facebook. “Thanks to the generosity of two benefactors, Mr. Frank Giannopoulos and Mr. Tom McEvoy, the MPFD received a donation of a 105-foot aerial fire apparatus! This unit will be based out of Station 1 in Powassan and will greatly increase the MPFD’s ability to effect rescues and fight large scale fires in our municipality.”

The two men purchased the apparatus at an auction with the intent to use it for commercial purposes. The business venture didn’t pan out, and they decided to donate it to the department, according to a report in nugget.ca. It arrived at the department ready to be put into service, though crews are still training on it.

A new apparatus of this aerial’s ilk would normally cost well more than $1 million, but the department took delivery of it for under $200—just the cost of an emissions test and a license plate, the report says.

It’s the department’s first aerial.