Ready to respond

Morrill County Ambulance Service brings ICU service to the patient

BRIDGEPORT -- In 2014, Morrill County Hospital started an ambulance service to do transfers between Bridgeport and regional hospitals.

The program has evolved to a mobile emergency room capable of communicating with a hospital as it is treating patients. The service has grown from one ambulance to four ambulances and a staff of six.

Many services see themselves as a mobile emergency room, and for good reason. Modern ambulances are equipped with every medical need that can be fit in a vehicle. Morrill County sees themselves as a step higher, more of a mobile ICU. Ambulances are equipped with monitors that can send information to a hospital in real-time. The monitors used by First Responders can remotely connect with a hospital or with Airlink. 

"They give us more capability than we're ever seen in the Panhandle," said Nikki Marks.

She said doctors can monitor progress as EMTs intubate a patient. They also have a device, a "Lucas 3," capable of performing chest compressions and sending the progress to an Emergency Room physician as the chest compressions are being performed.

All of their equipment is blue-tooth connected, and encrypted for HIPPA security.

"These monitors are used every day," says Amanda Stricker.

Marks says that with the advancement in medical technology, additional training is necessary. Orientation is a 90-day process.

Stricker says they try to treat patients holistically; not just the symptom, but also the cause.

Shannon Odiet, EMS Coordinator, said Morrill County Hospital's motto is "Exceptional care right here at home," and the EMS department is doing its best to live up to it.

"Our greatest strength is our people. We all come from different backgrounds and we all have different personalities. Our uniqueness is promoted here and it makes us stronger as a team," said Stricker.