RRH EMS Provider Liberty Ambulance Implements New EKG Equipment

Monday, August 17, 2020, RIDGECREST, Calif. - Ridgecrest Regional Hospital (RRH) owned Liberty Ambulance is set to deploy new ZOLL® EKG Cardiac Monitors later this month, following training for all EMS personnel.

“The monitors are state-of –the-art with enhanced diagnostics that will alert the EMTs, Paramedics or Nurses to life threatening cardiac arrhythmias,” said Erin Cocciolone, RN, EMT-P Operations Manager at Liberty Ambulance. “The EKG will then be transmitted instantly to a cardiologist in Bakersfield via Wi-Fi / Bluetooth technology for consultation and confirmation. The EMS personnel in conjunction with the base hospital staff at RRH and the cardiologist then route the patient to the closest most appropriate hospital for immediate therapy locally or more intensive care elsewhere.”

The devices will also enable EMS personnel to simultaneously monitor the patient’s vital signs, oxygen levels, and record those levels for the patient’s medical record. All of the monitors are equipped with Real CPR Help® technology to nearly triple the odds of patients surviving cardiac arrest and allowing the reading of an underlying rhythm when performing CPR.

Fred Hawkins, EMS Administrator / COO Liberty Ambulance added, “The biggest difference is that we are now going to be operating on the same system as the other first responders in the county like Kern County Fire and California City Fire, as well as the hospitals. For RRH this means supplies, maintenance, cables and training is standardized; reducing costs and most importantly increasing continuity between pre-hospital and emergency care provided by Ridgecrest Regional Hospital.”

“It will also make treatment of critical patients more seamless in switching from their AED to our Cardiac monitor,” added Cocciolone. “Some of our new monitors are equipped with critical care capabilities invasive blood pressure and temperature monitoring. These new machines will make a huge difference for our community as our EMS personnel will be better equipped to preserve the life of our critical cardiac patients.”

The new ZOLL EKG units are part of an extensive vehicle and equipment upgrade plan implemented by the hospital, as part of the acquisition of Liberty Ambulance.