A generous $6,200 gift from the Utica Fireside White Sox Club Save a Life Emergency Training Fund is helping strengthen emergency care across LaSalle and Bureau counties through advanced hands-on training for first responders and hospital caregivers.
The donation to the OSF HealthCare Foundation supports the Ottawa Regional EMS System Fund and enables the purchase of an Advanced Practice Monitoring System, a portable simulator designed to mirror the monitors and waveforms emergency teams use during real medical emergencies.
“This investment strengthens the full continuum of emergency care from the moment they respond in the field to the care delivered upon arrival in the Emergency Department,” said Kelly Wasilewski, BSN, RN, TNS, CPEN, manager of the Ottawa Regional EMS System and EMS system coordinator.
The Ottawa Regional EMS System brings together 30 emergency medical services and fire departments and dispatch centers, including both transporting and non-transporting agencies. These teams serve communities throughout LaSalle and Bureau counties and work in close partnership to ensure smooth transitions of care between EMS, LifeFlight and Emergency Department nurses.
The new training system allows EMS providers, LifeFlight teams and Emergency Department nurses to practice realistic emergency scenarios in a safe and controlled environment. By replicating familiar monitor screens and waveforms, the simulator helps teams strengthen critical skills such as ventilator management, end tidal carbon dioxide interpretation, defibrillation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Training scenarios include respiratory and cardiac emergencies, including cardiac arrest response, helping providers build confidence and refine life-saving skills before encountering these situations in real life. Because the system is portable, training can take place wherever it is needed most, resulting in more effective and timely care while enhancing safety for both patients and responders.
“Our communities rely on highly trained professionals during their most vulnerable moments,” Wasilewski said. “This technology helps ensure our teams are prepared, confident and ready to deliver high-quality care.”
The OSF HealthCare Foundation partners with generous donors to support programs, equipment and services that directly impact patient care close to home. Gifts like this one help strengthen emergency response and improve health outcomes across the region.
For information on how to donate to the Ottawa Regional EMS Fund, please contact: Cherie Reynolds, development officer, I-80 Region, OSF HealthCare Foundation
Cherie.R.Reynolds@osfhealthcare.org | (815) 431-5538
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