The sixth annual awards banquet honoring the excellence of the area’s emergency medical personnel was held recently at the Castleview Hospital in Price.
The two incidents of the year that the awards were centered around included that of Jana Hoyt and a bird hunter who was shot in the face in Emery County.
The honored included Jennifer Stefanoff, dispatcher; Dr. Kurt King, Physician of the Year; Denise Sanchez, emergency nurse of the year; and Carla Caldwell, special award recipient.
The Hoyt incident began around bedtime on August 30 of 2001. Jana Hoyt had just returned from a week-long trip to Seattle and was preparing for bed with her husband, Steve when she collapsed. Steve began CPR, doing two breaths and 10 compressions. Realizing that he would need more help, he called 911.
Public Safety Dispatcher Becky Wilson answered the call and directed Steve to slow down the CPR and give two breaths to 15 compressions. Wilson asked Dispatcher Lisa Shook to send an ambulance to their home.
Shook dispatched the Carbon County Ambulance. Off-duty ambulance personnel Jerimiah Davies and Wade Marinoni heard the page on their hand-held radios and both were close by. They responded to the home within two minutes. They relieved Steve of CPR and ventilation.
Carbon County Ambulance personnel Larry Leonard and Don Marrelli arrived two minutes later. Upon attaching a defibrillator monitor they found that Jana was in ventricular fibrillation. They delivered two shocks and within minutes she had a strong pulse. At Castleview Hospital, Medical Control Physician Cameron Williams and his ER staff met Jana and the EMS team.
Williams started advance cardiac care and arranged for transport to LDS Hospital’s specialized cardiac care unit. Jana was later diagnosed by doctors with Long QT Syndrome, a cardiac disease that would require a defibrillator, pacemaker implant. After eight days of hospitalization she was returned home. Six months later she was fully recovered and back to normal activity.
In the other situation, Mark Grace, was hunting on a bird farm in Emery county when, in the process of picking up a bird he had killed his 12 gauge shot gun went off hitting him in the face. Three EMT’s responded and recruited a driver that was on the scene. They started two IV’s and Grace was transported to Castleview Hospital. Later he was lifeflighted to the Wasatch Front. Grace has since recovered enough to go back to work.
The EMT’s that responded were Chuck Ebeling, Gordon Larsen, and Etova Snow.
Dr. Kurt King, who was named physician of the year is the past chief of staff of the hospital. In presenting the award he was honored for his knowledge and skills, sense of humor, his activities as he is involved in medical staff issues, as the medical director of the blood gas laboratory and as a teacher and mentor.
Denise Sanchez was named emergency nurse of the year.
In the presentation it was pointed out that Sanchez goes the extra mile with patients, is non-judgmental about patient situations, proctors new students with patience, is knowledgable about ER care and is advanced burn life support certified.
Jennifer Stefanoff was named Price Communications Center employee of the year. In the presentation it was pointed out that she has done much for the center this past year. She keeps all the certifications updated and has trained as the alternate for the center.
“Jennifer has set an example for the newer dispatchers, as someone to look up to and go to for advice,” said Martin Estrada, communications center supervisor.
Carla Caldwell was given a special award. She has been the abdominal aortic aneurysm “queen” of the year, according to the presentation. Carla has been on duty for at least five of the seven AAA cases diagnosed this year.
Also recognized were Sherry Hammond of Price Communications and Mike Milovich was given a special recognition for his commitment to the programs.
Emergency medical personnel honored at banquet
