In February 2012, LifeFlight Eagle presented the "Life Saver Award" to Cole Camp (Mo.) EMS in recognition of outstanding life-saving service to its community.
"We are pleased to recognize Cole Camp EMS for their efforts to improve the lives of those in their community," said Joey Araiza, LifeFlight Eagle's Vice President of Clinical Services. "Their commitment to critical care education and their life-saving response to time critical illnesses like stroke and heart attack have had a positive impact in the lives of patients in Benton County." As part of its ongoing educational initiatives, LifeFlight Eagle conducts training seminars for hospitals and emergency medical service agencies throughout the year. LifeFlight Eagle recently partnered with Saint Luke's Hospital to produce a series of "Time-Critical Diagnosis" workshops designed to help paramedics, EMTs and hospital teams recognize critical early signs of stroke and cardiac distress during the patient assessment process, and to teach early intervention techniques they can administer on the ground to give patients a better chance at survival and recovery.
Shortly after attending the LifeFlight Eagle-sponsored seminars, Cole Camp EMS teams used their new knowledge to identify early signs of a stroke in one patient and a critical heart condition in another. In both cases, the Cole Camp EMS crew immediately administered appropriate treatment and activated LifeFlight Eagle to transport the patients quickly and smoothly to a large hospital in Kansas City capable of providing the necessary specialty care required to save their lives.
Because of the Cole Camp EMS team's quick recognition and action, two local citizens are alive and well today.
The LifeFlight Eagle Life Saver Award is awarded to hospitals, fire departments and EMS agencies in the LifeFlight Eagle service area that demonstrate life-saving critical care response, commitment to improving emergency medical services in their community and focus on improved clinical patient outcomes.