Currently there are 750,000 EMS providers nationwide and over 250 in the Greater New Milford area.

“What our EMS volunteers do is an example of the highest level of community service possible. Every EMT spends an enormous amount of their own time training, maintaining and upgrading their skills,” says Dr. Thomas Koobatian, Chairman of New Milford Hospital’s Emergency Medicine Department and Director of Emergency Medical Services. In his position he provides medical oversight for the town of New Milford and the surrounding towns of Bridgewater, Roxbury, Sherman, Warren and Washington.

In March, Dr. Koobatian received the Dr. Mark E. Quigley Award. Established in 1998, the award is presented to a physician who demonstrates exemplary qualities as a teacher, visionary and executor of highest-quality emergency medical care. The award is presented in memory of Mark E. Quigley, M.D., who was a driving force in EMS in North Central Connecticut and throughout the state. Dr. Koobatian was also honored by the New Milford Community Ambulance Association.

“We are deeply indebted to our dedicated EMT volunteers and paramedics. They are emblematic of this year’s EMS Week theme, ‘Extraordinary People, Extraordinary Service.’ It is their 24/7, 365-day-a-year commitment to this community that makes our EMS the best service available in Connecticut today,” Dr. Koobatian says.

Most recently, New Milford hospital has added emergency angioplasty to its list of services, the first time such service has been available in Litchfield County.

This service is provided by Dr. Lawrence I. Laifer -- a member of the interventional cardiology faculty at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Laifer and his interventional colleagues at Columbia University are from the internationally renowned Center for Interventional Vascular Therapy (CIVT), a vital part of the New York-Presbyterian Healthcare system. Emergency angioplasty for heart attack has been shown to be the most effective treatment for quickly restoring blood flow to the heart muscle during a heart attack, and accordingly is most effective in saving lives and restoring heart function. New Milford Hospital’s EMS providers are important partners in the continuum of care that is essential to diagnose and treat a heart attack as fast as possible.

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) says the purpose of EMS Week is to bring together local communities and medical personnel to publicize safety and honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services on the medical “front line.”

In addition to recognizing EMS providers, National EMS Week is an opportunity for the public to learn about injury prevention, safety awareness and emergency preparedness.


Date posted - 5/9/2007