He Can 'Read' Your Heart
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Saving the life of a heart patient is solely dependent upon how fast and how accurately ambulance teams and nurses can diagnose the distress, have a physician prescribe medication or get the patient into a catheterization lab or surgical suite.
To that end, the Pinckneyville Community Hospital on Monday brought to their hospital a leading lecturer on the subject of how to interpret the printouts from what is known as the 12-lead EKG heart monitor.
Bob Page, who has traveled the country teaching ambulance crews and nurses how to get it right, came to the hospital at the urging of Director of Nurses Eva Hopp, R.N.; cardiac coordinator Angela Boyett, R.N.; nursing supervisor Nancy Keller, R.N. and Pinck-neyville Ambulance Service director Shane Malawy.
Page's resume is a dictionary of acronyms and certifications including AAS, NREMT-P, CCEMT-P and NCEE. He is an internationally known speaker, instructor, author and paramedic on the subject of interpreting the information available from an EKG. He has lectured in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe and while his workshop was not timed to February Heart Month, it was a perfect fit.
He referred to the local class of 30 medics and nurses as being the "best of the best" and the "elite group," to quote from the movie "Top Gun." That got their attention.
"If you've got a problem--and a pulse--get a 12-lead (EKG printout)," he said. He told ambulance crews he doesn't care how close to a hospital they are, get the patient wired into the monitor and start receiving data.
While it is all serious medicine, Page laced his presentation with ways heart teams can remember: "Don't miss the STEMI Jimmy," he smiled, reminding heart teams that it takes all 12 leads to accurately see what's known as an ST elevated MI. He added, "Lead 2--Not a Clue." meaning that using only part of the system gets you nowhere.
Page has been an instructor for over three decades teaching a variety of adult education courses from patient service to advanced emergency care. He is a nationally registered paramedic and critical care paramedic. He has been involved in EMS since 1978 when he became a CPR instructor. He was the Director of Emergency Care Education at St. John's Hospital in Springfield, Mo. for 18 years. He was the lead instructor for the paramedic program and has taught at all levels of EMS and nursing. He has earned a faculty appointment at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and is a guest instructor at Southwest Baptist University's College of Nursing. He is also adjunct faculty at Oklahoma Community College.
Boyett and Malawy called 12-lead EKG competency "a must" and she adds, "The goal is to have STEMIs identified in the field in order to activate the Prairie State STAT heart rapid response program onboard the ambulance. The STAT Heart program involves diagnosing a problem immediately and, if necessary, getting the patient into a cath lab.
Participants in the workshop included: Angela Boyett, Darlene Stowers, Nancy Keller, Susan Brown, Nicole Akins, Thelma Reiman, Debbie McKinstry, Maria Reyes, Connie Bush, Darby Mathis, Deanna Miller, DeAnna Urbanski, Cynthia Greten, Eva Hopp, Marci Renick, Candace Steele, Jeremy O'Dell, Barry Alerson, J. Robert Barrett, Terry Hirte, Matt Bierman, John Felchlia, Tom Heffner, Rudy Stowers, Shane Malawy, Patsy Lipe and Brian Beaty.
During the break, the hospital's heart team hosted a luncheon for participants catered by Alongi's Restaurant of Du Quoin.