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November 2008 |
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By MATT NICHOLS
Staff Writer
A former Wapakoneta law enforcement officer’s future is now in the hands of seven state Supreme Court justices.
Former Wapakoneta Police Chief Dave Harrison’s 6-year-old sex crime case reached the pinnacle in Ohio’s court system Wednesday, as justices heard arguments from Harrison’s attorney Dean Boland and state prosecutor Scott Longo.
Each party had 15 minutes to present their case to the justices. After both attorneys argued their cases, a single word in Harrison’s sentencing entry and a grilling delivered to Longo by justice Maureen O’Connor left Boland optimistic about his client’s future.
In June, 2003, Harrison plead guilty to a six-count bill of information after child pornography was found on his computer. After entering his plea, the man who served as police chief from 1988 to 2002 was sentenced to one year in jail.
Seven months after he completed his sentence, it was discovered by county prosecutors that Harrison should have been sentenced with an additional five years of mandatory post release control, or probation.
During a court hearing, Harrison was given the option to either be re-sentenced or withdraw his plea. Harrison chose the latter, taking things back to square one.
With the plea withdrawn, the state of Ohio slapped Harrison with a 23-count indictment which he was ultimately found guilty of and sentenced to six years in prison.
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Friday, 18 July 2008 |
By KAREN CAMPBELL
Staff Writer
Saving time when someone is suffering a heart attack does not just prevent more damage to the heart, it also saves lives, a health professional claims.
With new heart monitoring equipment donated by St. Rita’s Medical Center, members of the the Wapakoneta Emergency Medical Services Department can tell what is wrong with a patient while in transit and transmit that information via cell phone to the hospital before the squad ever arrives, allowing for quicker treatment upon arrival.
“Time is muscle, when you’re talking about the heart,” St. Rita’s Heart and Vascular Center Administrator Mary Marker said. “The quicker doctors can intervene the better quality of life someone can have. These machines shave sminutes off that time.”
On nights and weekends, when physicians, surgeons and special teams have to be called in to respond, the advance notice provided by the machines can save as many as 30 minutes.
St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima donated three new 12-lead electrocardiogram (EKG) heart monitors, valued at approximately $51,000, to Wapakoneta for use in its rescue squads.
The department was using two older versions of the same unit, in addition to an even older Lifepak10.
None of the machines, which were early 1990s models, met new guidelines set by the American Heart Association. They also were not able to be upgraded.
In addition to the more advanced EKGs, the new machines also have more accurate blood pressure monitors and carbon dioxide monitors.
The stand-alone units built specifically for ambulances are more accurate and reliable, and include one-shock Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and can act as external pacemakers, Wapakoneta firefighter and paramedic Eric Sammetinger explained.
He said the machines also allow responders to focus more on the patient without having to continue to write information on charts.
The LifePak12s record the information while its hooked up and then produce a report that can be printed right from the unit.
Marker said many local departments are fortunate to have the machines which aren’t available at many major EMS departments.
“This is not a standard piece of equipment,” Marker said.
Wapakoneta Fire Chief Kendall Krites said as one of the squads traveling the furthest distance to St. Rita’s with patients, the equipment is vital. He estimated that one of every four patients his squads respond to are for heart-related complaints.Due to new state rules, any emergency responders can operate the new equipment, making the machines more accessible to all area residents.
“It’s critical that we have good heart monitoring equipment,” Krites said. “The new machines tell paramedics what kind of heart rhythm a patient has and sends that heart rhythm into hospitals while the squad is in route.
“It tells if they’re having a heart attack or not,” he said. “It really speeds up the process, allowing them to skip the ER and head straight where they need to go when they arrive at the hospital.”
Responders are expected to be trained on using the equipment soon.
St. Rita’s management has tried to be proactive in heart care, with its heart center and monthly meetings with members of local emergency medical services departments brainstorming about how to continue to make patient care better and more efficient, Krites said.
Starting in 2005, the hospital began donating money and equipment to local squads to help them better meet their needs and therefore allow for quicker, more informed treatment at the hospital.
Marker said there is a national 90-minute timeline goal from when a patient comes through the Emergency Room door to getting that patient into the catheterization lab and a balloon catheter in place to enlarge narrowing arteries.
“Across the country, departments are struggling to meet that goal,” Marker said.
She said in 2005, the average time was 108 minutes for St. Rita’s patients. In 2006, that time dropped to the 90s and today it’s 74 minutes, in the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide.
By having the more advanced equipment, time at the hospital is shaved off because before they arrive, the hospital knows what they are facing.
“If we can identify what’s wrong before they get to the hospital, we can get everything in place,” Marker said. “We couldn’t achieve those times without equipment like this.”
The group continues to review cases, both those that came in under the timeline and those that came in over, when they are deciding what else they can do to better respond to patient needs. She said patients can continue to expedite the process by not hesitating to call 911 when they are experiencing chest pain.
“So many people still drive themselves,” Marker said. “It’s so critical that they call. They could die suddenly or cause an accident. It’s better that the squad comes get them so they can start treatment before they are even to the hospital. We have the equipment and technology to help them, they need to take advantage.
“Care and timeliness keeps getting better and better,” she said. “We’re all working together to get better. Before a patient ever reaches the hospital is probably the most important part of that.” |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 28 July 2008 )
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