| June 16, 2005
MGHS School
of Emergency Medical Technology graduates 122 volunteers
Medical First Responders and EMTs complete training
The
Marquette General Health System School
of Emergency Medical Technology has announced that nine Upper Peninsula
counties will benefit from the more than 100 Medical First Responders
and Emergency Medical Technicians who have recently completed training.
In two sessions, the School of EMT graduated 122 community
volunteers. The first group consisted of 53 students from Alger,
Baraga, Delta, Houghton, Keweenaw,
Marquette and Schoolcraft counties. Another 69 students were from Baraga,
Delta, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Marquette and Ontonagon counties.
Dennis Karuzas, EMT-P I/C, Director of the School of EMT, said two-thirds
of the Upper Peninsula communities will benefit from these volunteers.
“These people come from families like yours and mine,” Karuzas said. “When
tragedy strikes, they drop their forks and knives, they leave their children’s
birthday parties or ball games, and they leave the comfort of their own beds
to respond to the aid of those who call 911. These are our community heroes.”
Marquette General Health System teaches EMS courses via distance learning technology
provided by the Upper Peninsula
Telehealth Network. Students in Baraga, Delta,
Dickinson, Houghton, Keweenaw, Ontonagon and Schoolcraft counties have participated
in didactic lectures via videoconference at their local hospitals and health
systems, while local EMS instructors provide practical skills training.
The distance education technology has made EMS education readily convenient
to the many volunteers who comprise nearly 75 EMS agencies throughout the
Upper Peninsula.
Students from as far away as Alger and Iron counties traveled to MGHS to
attend classes. One student, who lives in Houghton County and commutes for
business,
attended some classes in Hancock and others in Ontonagon.
Students who attend EMS courses through the School of EMT are trained to
exceed the national standards set by the U.S. Department of Transportation
and the
National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. Upon successful completion
of the courses, students are recommended for testing through the National
Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.
The Medical First Responder Course had a 98.5 percent pass rate during the
first attempt for registration, while the EMT class experienced an 88 percent
first-attempt pass rate.
“The national first-time pass rate is only 69 percent,” Karuzas said. “The
level of training at the School of EMT far exceeds the national average.”
A complete listing of all the graduates follows:
Emergency Medical Technicians
Baraga County: Cathy Lahti, Melissa Loukus, Ed
Roth and Chris Tripp
Escanaba Area: Lucas Ault, Robyn Demeuse, Sarah Franks, Philip Howard Timothy
Johnson, Edwin LaCosse, Erika Moody Thomas O’Brien and Lori Sundling
Keweenaw Area: Jesse Caron, David Forstot, Robert Kyllonen, Greg Niedzwiecki,
Denise Prach, Chris Quave and Todd Sarazin
Marquette Area: Tim Archer (Gwinn), Ken “Andy” Fortin (Marquette
Township), Catherine Gelsinger (Marquette, Ken Harju (Big Bay), Brad Johnson
(Chocolay Township), Rose Jones (Alger County), Dan Kallio (Marquette),
Anne Kertscher (Big Bay), Greg Ketola (Gwinn), Richard Laksonen (Ishpeming),
BrieAnne
Leffler (Marquette), Tiffany Manninen (Sawyer), Brenda Martin (Republic),
Wyatt Miller (Marquette), Scott Mills (Palmer), Tonya Nicholas (Ishpeming),
Marc
Prey (Ishpeming), Frank Rosado (Sands), Missy Sebeck (Sands), Lindsey Seppanen
(Alger County), Chris Sgouris (Negaunee), Jesse Smith (Ishpeming), Robert
Sved (Marquette Township), Lindsey Thome (Manistique) and Andrew Wilder
(Marquette)
Manistique Area: Robert Billings, Kathy Chase, Mary Hetchier, Sandra Norton,
Jack Schuetter and Amanda Studinger
Medical First Responders
Baraga Area: John Filpus, Ann Hock, Tammy Mantilla, Brian Mattila, Ronda
Mattila, Timothy Parzych, Darin Walendowski and Bonny Walendowski
Escanaba Area: Thomas Bell III, Madelyn Clickner, Lisa Hamilton, Joanne LaCosse,
Michael Markovich, Mary Pajnich and Lynn Forhart
Houghton/Hancock Area: Kathleen Abbott, John Bostwick, David Boutin, Henry
Feldhusen, Lynn Heckel-Taavola, Catherine Hill, Rebecca Hoekstra, Anthony
Lampinen, Mathew Lefevre, Aaron Maki, Todd Markham, Darren Niemi, Christine
Papke, Janet
Papke, Danielle Seguin, Lloyd Starks and Richard Verran
Iron County: Sue James and John Mastie
Keweenaw Area: Gary Barker, Jessica Butina, Joe Caron, Peter Coltas, Robert
Davis, Paula Dube, Cassie Huhta, Erik Johnson, Robert Johnson, Timothy LaBonte,
Michael Stimac and Jeffrey Williams
Marquette Area: Rolf Anderson (Michigamme), Charles Bleau (Ishpeming),
Pamela Henriksen (Marquette), Allen Hicks (Marquette), Don Hutchins (Gwinn),
Bridgette
Hytinen (Ishpeming), Scott Koskey (Gwinn), Thomas Kownacki (Marquette),
Michael Koupus (Ishpeming), Bernie Lane (Marquette), Chris Milliner (Marquette),
Hilda Marie Nault (Sands), Mark O’Neill (Marquette Township), Mark
Peller (Ishpeming), Crystal Peterman (Marquette), Cameron Planky (Ishpeming),
Randy Schwemin (Sands),
Sam Schwemin (Sands), Robert Sebeck (Sands) and Gordon Stone (Ishpeming)
Ontonagon Area: Jesse Bailey, Andrew Reichardt and Jane Store
For more information on the School of EMT, contact Karuzas (djkaruzas@mgh.org)
or Cheryl Koppinger (cjkoppinger@mgh.org) at 906-225-7590 or 1-800
562-9753, ext. 7590.
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