Connecticut.

[NomadicMedic]

I started off my EMS career in CT back in the late 80s and moved away in '91. I haven't paid much attention to EMS there in years.

However, my wife is being recruited by a practice in West Hartford and if we decide it's a good move, I may suddenly find myself back in CT, looking for a paramedic job. Ideally, I'd like to work for an intercept service, but I'm not sure who's still doing that model. I think Middlesex Hospital, L&M in New London and maybe Windham? Anyone else? Anyone have a good service I should talk to first? Thoughts?

Back in the day I worked for American in Norwich. I don't know if they still run intercept. I heard they lost the QV Medic contract.

Thanks all.

 

[NysEms2117]

I have an old friend from college who I think and I say think strongly is in "high level health care"(PA+) out in Hartford I'll reach out and see what I can find

 

[NomadicMedic]

Thanks. I appreciate that.

 

[VentMonkey]

DE, I think @EpiEMS is from Connecticut. Probably about 5? years ago Norwalk (CT) Hospital was recruiting heavily for paramedics and I briefly considered them.

I know nothing about the Connecticut area, and they are on rigs (not intercept), hospital based, and I think fire in their areas are first responders, but you know my take on a good intercept service.

 

[NomadicMedic]

DE, I think @EpiEMS is from Connecticut. Probably about 5? years ago Norwalk (CT) Hospital was recruiting heavily for paramedics and I briefly considered them.

I know nothing about the Connecticut area, and they are on rigs (not intercept), hospital based, and I think fire in their areas are first responders, but you know my take on a good intercept service.

Yes. When I left, there were still several fly car medics in various areas. I think several places still use them.

 

[EpiEMS]

@VentMonkey, yup! I'm a CT guy (live in NYS though).

@DEmedic I've worked pretty extensively with providers in much (most?) of Fairfield County, so I'm happy to help if I can there!

In the smaller towns of Fairfield County, much of the service is provided by volunteers (or volunteer/career hybrid services) with paramedic intercepts from the hospital (Norwalk or Stamford, namely). In the larger ones, there are either not-for-profit services (Norwalk Hospital or Stamford EMS) or privates (AMR). Much of Fairfield County does not have fire-based EMS, with the exception of BLS fire first response.

CT is not exactly progressive for EMS.

(I'll add more shortly!)

 

[NysEms2117]

@EpiEMS my buddy hasn't answered back yet but are those hospitals Atlantic health? Or Atlantic health network?

 

[NomadicMedic]

Middlesex paramedics was a decent, progressive service back in the day.

 

[medichopeful]

I started off my EMS career in CT back in the late 80s and moved away in '91. I haven't paid much attention to EMS there in years.

However, my wife is being recruited by a practice in West Hartford and if we decide it's a good move, I may suddenly find myself back in CT, looking for a paramedic job. Ideally, I'd like to work for an intercept service, but I'm not sure who's still doing that model. I think Middlesex Hospital, L&M in New London and maybe Windham? Anyone else? Anyone have a good service I should talk to first? Thoughts?

Back in the day I worked for American in Norwich. I don't know if they still run intercept. I heard they lost the QV Medic contract.

Thanks all.

I know Campion EMS runs at least one paramedic intercept vehicle. They'll bring stuff in to my hospital every now and then. They intercept with the BLS volunteers. I don't work for Campion, but I know a few people who do and could ask them any questions you may have.

 

[VentMonkey]

I know Campion EMS runs at least one paramedic intercept vehicle. They'll bring stuff in to my hospital every now and then. They intercept with the BLS volunteers. I don't work for Campion, but I know a few people who do and could ask them any questions you may have.

Are you willing, or able to comment on the rapport between hospital staff and the service's staff? A general statement would suffice.

Oftentimes the relationship between the field providers and hospitals can be a pretty good indicator about the local EMS service's general competency, IMO.

 

[medichopeful]

Are you willing, or able to comment on the rapport between hospital staff and the service's staff? A general statement would suffice.

Oftentimes the relationship between the field providers and hospitals can be a pretty good indicator about the local EMS service's general competency, IMO.

From what I've seen, the two groups seem to get along pretty well! Both groups have a good mutual respect for each other which is nice. I'll be honest, I don't interact with the EMS staff too often (I don't work ER at that hospital), but I will go down to the ER to help with critical cases and will run into them and the relationship they have with the ER staff is pretty good; I've never had a bad interaction with them when I've interacted with them, and all my interactions with them have been excellent. There is some cross-over between the staff we have, so that may play a part. I hope that helps? I could gladly answer any more questions you have in a PM.

 

[VentMonkey]

From what I've seen, the two groups seem to get along pretty well! Both groups have a good mutual respect for each other which is nice. I'll be honest, I don't interact with the EMS staff too often (I don't work ER at that hospital), but I will go down to the ER to help with critical cases and will run into them and the relationship they have with the ER staff is pretty good; I've never had a bad interaction with them when I've interacted with them, and all my interactions with them have been excellent. There is some cross-over between the staff we have, so that may play a part. I hope that helps? I could gladly answer any more questions you have in a PM.

This is pretty good stuff and will suffice, thank you. I am realistically not in a position to go anywhere anytime soon, and have a good thing going where I am now, but intercept services always pique my interest.

For the sake of the keeping this thread going though, thanks again. Hopefully @EpiEMS will chime in once he has some free time on his hands regarding his CT knowledge as well, specifically, how intercepts work there.

For example, does Norwalk Hospital have any QRV intercepts, or are they all on ambulances?

 

[EpiEMS]

@EpiEMS my buddy hasn't answered back yet but are those hospitals Atlantic health? Or Atlantic health network?

I don't believe so - my understanding is that Atlantic Health is just in New Jersey. There are a couple of hospital groups in CT, including those affiliated with Yale (like Bridgeport Hospital).

For the sake of the keeping this thread going though, thanks again. Hopefully @EpiEMS will chime in once he has some free time on his hands regarding his CT knowledge as well, specifically, how intercepts work there.

For example, does Norwalk Hospital have any QRV intercepts, or are they all on ambulances?

Norwalk mostly staffs ALS ambulances. They typically have, I believe, 4 24-hour ambulances, plus a supervisor or two. Norwalk's ambulances may be ALS or BLS (not sure if they have an explicit mix). Norwalk will mutual aid into surrounding communities (Westport, Wilton, etc.), and provides medics at various "satellites" (Westport, New Canaan, Wilton/Weston, and few others, I think) to work with the volunteer and/or hybrid volunteer/career services. Those last gigs are pretty plum, in my mind - one to four calls in a 12 hour period, generally speaking, and usually an ample number of volunteers (or town employees) to Be Lifting Stuff.

(Norwalk generally does not have QRVs, explicitly, to my knowledge.)

Some general things about EMS in CT for anybody who's interested:

- We just put in place new protocols (active as of Jan. 1, 2017), which help to (broadly) standardize care across the varying systems/regions/hospitals (gives options in some cases, like where medical directors choose X drug instead of Y, say). Thus, I think, @DEmedic, generally speaking, most of the paramedic services will be pretty much the same as far as scope of practice - with the exception that medical director X may be more liberal than medical director Y, of course.

- We are slowly getting rid of AEMT, it seems. CT has been a strange case where we've just had I '85s forever, and no bridge for true national AEMT. Not to mention, there is a profusion of medics. So, given the relatively low educational starting point plus the number of medics, seems like most of the sponsor hospitals are getting rid of supporting AEMT.

- Many of the rural volunteer services have had to supplement staffing with paid providers from staffing agencies or have contracted out to hospital employees. The wealthier suburban services generally seem to have either hybrid career/volunteer or are all volunteer with a contracted medic from the hospital (for example: Wilton and Weston collectively are covered by one contracted medic from Norwalk Hospital, but are otherwise entirely covered by BLS volunteers).

- Fire-based EMS exists, but at least to my knowledge, it is generally less common than municipal third service or not-for-profit. I only know of two ALS fire services - New Haven (which doesn't do much in the way of transporting) and Milford (which contracts out to AMR for a BLS unit to transport).

 

[NomadicMedic]

I was a southeastern CT guy, so I'm much more familiar with the agencies that are east of Hartford. If it gets to the point where I'm looking for a gig, I'm sure I can land something til I find the CT unicorn. (Medic 11/12 from New London)

 

[Tigger]

Stratford may do intercepts. Stamford EMS has a flycar in Darien now I think as well.

My knowledge of CT is pretty limited, though I have heard good things about New Britain EMS as well (not intercepts, but a good service allegedly).

 

[EpiEMS]

FWIW, there was talk at one point, so I'm told, of Yale operating their own ground ambulances...now that'd be potentially interesting. *Update* They do staff a pediatric CCT unit in collaboration with AMR and SkyHealth, but I think I had heard something about regular old 911 units...

@Tigger, New Britain EMS certainly has nice looking apparatus! Stamford EMS was just recently contracted by Darien to staff a medic in Darien 24/7. Prior to that, my understanding is that Darien EMS (staffed predominantly by BLS youths, with some adult CT AEMTs, I think) called for ALS intercepts from Stamford EMS.