Recently, members of the Berlin Emergency Medical Services Department received valuable “Code Blue” training using the Fox Valley Regional Trauma Advisory Council’s simulator.

Paramedic Jeff McDonald performs a blood pressure reading during CHN Emergency Trauma Training.

The simulator reproduces the sounds of a heart beating, lung function, blood pressure readings, and even allows the team to begin intravenous medications, insert chest tubes and intubate, thereby allowing the staff to recreate actual life and death situations.

Kelly Schmude, Manager of CHN Berlin Hospital Emergency Department, notes that “medical personnel no longer simply talk through what they would do in an emergency situation.  Instead, they are able to actually perform the steps necessary to treat the trauma patient.”  Dee Evans, Director of the Berlin EMS adds, “The simulator provides a valuable opportunity for our medical staff to work as a team, prioritizing and organizing their trauma plan.” 

Berlin EMS Director Dee Evans (left) works with Paramedics Matt Ziegenhagen, Tony Thoma, Jeff McDonald and Danan Tangwall.

Schmude and Evans plan to utilize the simulator in the future, during their Advanced Cardiac Life Support class.