MVH UPGRADES EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

When a paramedic cares for a critical patient, the goal is simple: get the pain controlled. But if the paramedic can't get in contact with a doctor, things can get complicated. Emergency services coordinators at Monongahela Valley Hospital are making sure that scenario never occurs with the addition of a new 800-megahertz radio system.

The new system allows for improved communication between Monongahela Valley Hospital and numerous emergency medical services located in Washington, Greene, Fayette, Westmoreland and Allegheny counties, all of which deliver patients to the MVH Emergency Department.

“The move to the new communication system coordinated with Washington, Westmoreland and Fayette counties in obtaining the updated radios,” Linda Zidek, RN, pre-hospital coordinator, said.

"When each county has its own system, they can speak to each other but once you cross a county border, you lose the ability to communicate with each other. This new system was the missing piece and will open up communication with other counties."

When paramedics without compatible radio systems needed to alert hospital staff of a patient on their way into the emergency room or confer with physicians about treatment, they had to use their own cell phones to call ahead. Their other option was to contact 911 and ask the dispatcher to call the hospital.

With the new system, transmissions from all EMS service providers will be directly received at a base station in the emergency department, which is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by either a doctor or registered nurse.

"It's very simple. When they get a call, they just have to answer," Zidek said.

Fayette County uses an 800-megahertz radio system for police, fire and EMS. Allegheny, Armstrong and Beaver counties are evaluating plans for their own networks in the future. Now that MVH has its new system, Washington County officials also have taken steps to obtain an updated radio from Westmoreland County and have already obtained one from Fayette County.

Early EMS communication systems were developed with radio links between dispatchers, mobile units and hospitals, enabling quick transmission between these units. Public safety officials across the country are turning their attention to establishing more effective communication systems after such disasters as the 9-11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina. In these disasters they found that police and fire units could not talk to one another because they were all set up on different radio bands and frequencies.

A further enhancement recently developed by the PA Department of Health is the 800 Mhz Open Sky radio system. This will be utilized by the state in the event of a mass casualty incident, enabling MVH to communicate with more than 50 other hospitals in its region.

"At MVH, we touch many lives in many live saving ways and we want to be totally prepared for anything that might occur for the residents of our communities,” said Zidek.