Ashtabula County Medical Center | ACMC Pulse | Winter 2018

8 ACMC Pulse  • acmchealth.org ACMC AND CLEVELAND CLINIC A collaboration that saves lives THERE ARE TIMES when patients need medical care that goes beyond the services provided at ACMC. With one phone call, Cleveland Clinic medical teams can be called in to transport patients to Cleveland. “As a community hospital, ACMC does not offer certain complex treatments, but thanks to our affiliation with Cleveland Clinic, we have quick access to specialists who do. Our community is fortunate to have access to such high-level care at a moment’s notice,” said Michael Habowski, ACMC Health System President and CEO. Critical care transport always at the ready Through AutoLaunch, the protocol to activate Cleveland Clinic’s Critical Transport Team, an advanced team of providers can be in the air or on the highway within minutes—often arriving at ACMC before the patient does. Imraan Haniff, MD, ACMC Emergency Department Medical Director, said having access to counterparts at Cleveland Clinic has clearly saved lives in the past and will continue to do so. Critical care transport is especially useful for heart attack patients. When first responders call ACMC to prepare to receive a potential heart attack patient, they provide additional patient data via an onboard 12-lead EKG. The transmitted data lets physicians see how the heart is beating—and where problems may be located in and around the heart. Dr. Haniff and the Emergency Department physicians consult with Cleveland Clinic physicians as to which protocol will provide the best outcome for the patient. By the time the helicopter has arrived at ACMC, the patient is stabilized and ready for transport. Critical care transport for neonatal patients Jacquelyn DiFiore, RN, MSN, MHA, NEA-BC, ACMC Chief Nursing Officer, said, “We also use AutoLaunch for neonatal cases. The Cleveland Clinic team can be en route while a mother is delivering and can arrive at ACMC before the baby is born so there is no delay in transporting the baby if needed.” ACMC is working with Cleveland Clinic to enhance the critical care transport system by including up-to-the-minute, peer- to-peer neonatal consultations, which give local physicians a better opportunity to stabilize a baby prior to transport. It is similar to a system already used by ACMC’s Intensive Care Unit. Emergency care