EAST Ambulance continues commitment to serve southern Ohio
Lead Summary
By
Caitlin Forsha-crforsha@gmail.com
Operating under owner Dave Haines since 2004 and based in Leesburg since 2009, EAST Ambulance is continuing to evolve as a company as they serve hundreds of patients each week in southern Ohio.
Based in Leesburg, EAST Ambulance is “a progressive private medical transportation service offering emergency and non-emergency advanced life support,” according to their website. The company’s services include advanced life support, basic life support, paramedic intercepts and bariatric services, along with pediatric advanced life support (PALS), advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS), vent transports and BiPAP.
Haines spoke with The Highland County Press about a number of changes to the company in the past year, including increased staffing and services, with additional growth expected for 2017.
The company recently implemented US Fleet Tracking, which is “a GPS tracking manufacturer providing Internet-based access to live vehicle tracking and asset management,” according to the US Fleet Tracking website (www.usfleettracking.com). The system offers “sub-ten-second tracking service” with “the highest reliability of any GPS tracking product on the market,” their website says.
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“It’s important that we know where our ambulances are, whether they are loaded or unloaded,” Haines said. “This helps our dispatcher answer that next question of ‘how soon can I get an ambulance?’ or ‘how soon can I expect this patient to arrive?’
“Dispatch can see easily where vehicles are and approximately when they’ll arrive. The initial response from the dispatchers has been very positive.”
Haines said that the company has made several recent equipment and fleet upgrades as part of their “ongoing effort” to make improvements.
“We’ve added three new ambulances as well as upgrades to medical equipment,” Haines said. “Whether it’s IV pumps, cardiac monitors, vents or various other smaller things used in an ambulance, it’s been an ongoing effort to upgrade the equipment.”
In addition to beginning the fleet tracking system, the company is in the process of revamping how they do their charting for all of their patients. While EAST employees currently use the traditional paper charting method, Haines said the company is currently “evaluating several electronic charting systems.”
“Rather than writing on a piece of paper, our staff will record information on an iPad or some other electronic device and electronically send that information to a hospital, nursing home, billing – wherever the information might need to go,” he said. “It will make everything quicker and add a number of other benefits over paper that will make it easier for EMTs and everybody concerned.”
Operations manager Michael Norman, who began working for EAST in January 2016, has been working to increase the continuing education offered to local medical professionals. Haines said that he wasn’t ready to disclose all of the information, but their program will “be expanded considerably over the next two or three years.”
“It will be a significantly expanded education effort from EAST to the nursing world, EMS world and so forth,” Haines said.
Over the past year, the company has hired or promoted a number of employees. One longtime employee, Doug Scott, is now serving as the dispatch supervisor.
“He’s a very good EMT and very reliable on the road,” Haines said. “He knows the outside, obviously, so that’s what helps him contribute on the inside. With dispatching runs and some of the things that make it complicated, he knows how to steer around those and make it flow a little easier for everyone concerned.”
Another EMT, Robin Davis, is working in an expanded role with compliance and orientation of new employees. Haines said that his “total job description hasn’t totally materialized,” but Davis is working in several different capacities so far.
Amanda Campbell is another employee whom Haines said has accepted a “dual role” with the company.
“She’s still a medic, but she also takes care of all of our Advanced Life Support systems,” Haines said.
Campbell’s position includes training employees on using the medical equipment in the ambulance, including cardiac monitors, vents and IV pumps.
“Some of the things we do in a private ambulance are not real common in the 911 world,” Haines said. “We carry our own IV pumps, for example. The operation of the pumps and setting them up is one of the things Amanda would make sure all employees know.”
Another recent hire is Rebekah Drury, an assistant in the human resources department. Drury currently works three days a week for EAST and has taken on a number of responsibilities.
EAST Ambulance also created a new position, called a field compliance specialist, who works to make sure the company is “in compliance with all of the normal rules and regulations, whether it’s state, federal, OSHA, HIPAA, etc.,” Haines said. Kelly Huston has accepted that role.
“She’s making sure we’re in compliance with all of our charting and patient information,” Haines said. “We’ve done that type of work always, but we’re actually putting her out in the field. She’s working with the crews one-on-one, and she will be visiting the nursing homes and hospital facilities for special information that she’s acquiring for building files.”
Laurie Flower is “a positive addition to the workforce” at EAST and is working with billing and scheduling, according to Haines. Julie Duncan, Angela Hottle, Tina Lowe and Deborah Norris have also “added a significant step forward” in the billing department, he said.
As Haines said that the company wants to be “as self-sufficient as possible,” two experienced diesel mechanics were recently added to the EAST staff in Duane Schaffer and Chris Karnes.
“They’ve been a really good addition to our work force because we maintain our own fleet,” Haines said. “Both of them have enough experience to put us in a good position, maintenance-wise.”
Along with all of the new staff members, Haines is appreciative of all of the loyal employees of EAST, some of whom have been with the company from its inception. In addition to Haines and Norman, EAST’s leadership team includes executive vice president Bruce Stewart; vice president of sales and marketing and human resources contact Jodi Jackson; billing manager Debbie Partin; director of customer enhancement Kevin Mitchell; events coordinator Becky Mitchell; and scheduling professional Jessica Bentley.
“The new people are obviously great additions and will contribute, but the people that have been with me from the start or added along the way certainly deserve the respect and recognition from me and everyone else in the community because they certainly do a lot of work,” Haines said.
As the company continues to expand and evolve, additional staff will be added along the way. “Anyone looking for work should give us a call or come by,” Haines said.
Haines said he and the EAST staff have adopted a four-word statement in the last few months: “How may I serve?”
“That fits with the crew members who are taking care of elderly people, the people in the office and certainly with me,” Haines said. “My job is to serve the people, one way or another. That’s what I’m making myself busy trying to do.
“My definition of a private ambulance company is a company that transports people who can’t go in the family van, who require special handling, special equipment, special medication. If we don’t take them, they don’t go. If you look at it in that light, a private ambulance company is not glitzy and loud and noisy like 911 movies, but we transport 250 to 300 people a week that wouldn’t go to various appointments all over southern Ohio if we didn’t take them.”
Based in Leesburg, EAST Ambulance is “a progressive private medical transportation service offering emergency and non-emergency advanced life support,” according to their website. The company’s services include advanced life support, basic life support, paramedic intercepts and bariatric services, along with pediatric advanced life support (PALS), advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS), vent transports and BiPAP.
Haines spoke with The Highland County Press about a number of changes to the company in the past year, including increased staffing and services, with additional growth expected for 2017.
The company recently implemented US Fleet Tracking, which is “a GPS tracking manufacturer providing Internet-based access to live vehicle tracking and asset management,” according to the US Fleet Tracking website (www.usfleettracking.com). The system offers “sub-ten-second tracking service” with “the highest reliability of any GPS tracking product on the market,” their website says.
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“It’s important that we know where our ambulances are, whether they are loaded or unloaded,” Haines said. “This helps our dispatcher answer that next question of ‘how soon can I get an ambulance?’ or ‘how soon can I expect this patient to arrive?’
“Dispatch can see easily where vehicles are and approximately when they’ll arrive. The initial response from the dispatchers has been very positive.”
Haines said that the company has made several recent equipment and fleet upgrades as part of their “ongoing effort” to make improvements.
“We’ve added three new ambulances as well as upgrades to medical equipment,” Haines said. “Whether it’s IV pumps, cardiac monitors, vents or various other smaller things used in an ambulance, it’s been an ongoing effort to upgrade the equipment.”
In addition to beginning the fleet tracking system, the company is in the process of revamping how they do their charting for all of their patients. While EAST employees currently use the traditional paper charting method, Haines said the company is currently “evaluating several electronic charting systems.”
“Rather than writing on a piece of paper, our staff will record information on an iPad or some other electronic device and electronically send that information to a hospital, nursing home, billing – wherever the information might need to go,” he said. “It will make everything quicker and add a number of other benefits over paper that will make it easier for EMTs and everybody concerned.”
Operations manager Michael Norman, who began working for EAST in January 2016, has been working to increase the continuing education offered to local medical professionals. Haines said that he wasn’t ready to disclose all of the information, but their program will “be expanded considerably over the next two or three years.”
“It will be a significantly expanded education effort from EAST to the nursing world, EMS world and so forth,” Haines said.
Over the past year, the company has hired or promoted a number of employees. One longtime employee, Doug Scott, is now serving as the dispatch supervisor.
“He’s a very good EMT and very reliable on the road,” Haines said. “He knows the outside, obviously, so that’s what helps him contribute on the inside. With dispatching runs and some of the things that make it complicated, he knows how to steer around those and make it flow a little easier for everyone concerned.”
Another EMT, Robin Davis, is working in an expanded role with compliance and orientation of new employees. Haines said that his “total job description hasn’t totally materialized,” but Davis is working in several different capacities so far.
Amanda Campbell is another employee whom Haines said has accepted a “dual role” with the company.
“She’s still a medic, but she also takes care of all of our Advanced Life Support systems,” Haines said.
Campbell’s position includes training employees on using the medical equipment in the ambulance, including cardiac monitors, vents and IV pumps.
“Some of the things we do in a private ambulance are not real common in the 911 world,” Haines said. “We carry our own IV pumps, for example. The operation of the pumps and setting them up is one of the things Amanda would make sure all employees know.”
Another recent hire is Rebekah Drury, an assistant in the human resources department. Drury currently works three days a week for EAST and has taken on a number of responsibilities.
EAST Ambulance also created a new position, called a field compliance specialist, who works to make sure the company is “in compliance with all of the normal rules and regulations, whether it’s state, federal, OSHA, HIPAA, etc.,” Haines said. Kelly Huston has accepted that role.
“She’s making sure we’re in compliance with all of our charting and patient information,” Haines said. “We’ve done that type of work always, but we’re actually putting her out in the field. She’s working with the crews one-on-one, and she will be visiting the nursing homes and hospital facilities for special information that she’s acquiring for building files.”
Laurie Flower is “a positive addition to the workforce” at EAST and is working with billing and scheduling, according to Haines. Julie Duncan, Angela Hottle, Tina Lowe and Deborah Norris have also “added a significant step forward” in the billing department, he said.
As Haines said that the company wants to be “as self-sufficient as possible,” two experienced diesel mechanics were recently added to the EAST staff in Duane Schaffer and Chris Karnes.
“They’ve been a really good addition to our work force because we maintain our own fleet,” Haines said. “Both of them have enough experience to put us in a good position, maintenance-wise.”
Along with all of the new staff members, Haines is appreciative of all of the loyal employees of EAST, some of whom have been with the company from its inception. In addition to Haines and Norman, EAST’s leadership team includes executive vice president Bruce Stewart; vice president of sales and marketing and human resources contact Jodi Jackson; billing manager Debbie Partin; director of customer enhancement Kevin Mitchell; events coordinator Becky Mitchell; and scheduling professional Jessica Bentley.
“The new people are obviously great additions and will contribute, but the people that have been with me from the start or added along the way certainly deserve the respect and recognition from me and everyone else in the community because they certainly do a lot of work,” Haines said.
As the company continues to expand and evolve, additional staff will be added along the way. “Anyone looking for work should give us a call or come by,” Haines said.
Haines said he and the EAST staff have adopted a four-word statement in the last few months: “How may I serve?”
“That fits with the crew members who are taking care of elderly people, the people in the office and certainly with me,” Haines said. “My job is to serve the people, one way or another. That’s what I’m making myself busy trying to do.
“My definition of a private ambulance company is a company that transports people who can’t go in the family van, who require special handling, special equipment, special medication. If we don’t take them, they don’t go. If you look at it in that light, a private ambulance company is not glitzy and loud and noisy like 911 movies, but we transport 250 to 300 people a week that wouldn’t go to various appointments all over southern Ohio if we didn’t take them.”