The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Fire Department lauded by Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic recently presented members of the Painesville Township Fire Department with a service certificate.
Cleveland Clinic recently presented members of the Painesville Township Fire Department with an Emergency Services Institute Certificate of Excellence and a challenge coin, a small medallion given to honor service men and women, in recognition for a heroic performance in a recent heart attack transport.
On Jan. 14, Station One transport crew Lt. Mike Shoff, Firefighter Chris Patriarca, Firefighter Joe Bissell and Firefighter Eric Schraibman were transporting a patient with a suspected heart attack to Lake West Hospital in Willoughby, which is the closest facility with a catheterization laboratory, according to Painesville Township Fire Chief Frank Huffman.
A catheterization laboratory, or cath lab, is an examination room in a hospital or clinic with diagnostic imaging equipment used to visualize the arteries of the heart and the chambers of the heart.
Huffman said while they were headed there, the crew was diverted to Hillcrest Hospital because the cath lab at Lake West was unavailable. Just before they arrived the crew was again diverted because Hillcrest’s cath lab became unavailable.
The squad then transported the patient to the Cleveland Clinic Main Campus where the patient was able to get into an open cath lab and had a positive outcome, Huffman explained.
“Because our crew was able to adapt and stay focused on giving the best patient care throughout this extended transport, the Cleveland Clinic presented them with an award and a challenge coin as a thank you for a job well done,” he said.