Rotary Community Heroes of Hope
Introducing "Rotary Community Heroes of Hope" - a podcast dedicated to showcasing the profound impact of Rotary in District 5330 and beyond. Join us as we explore the remarkable stories of rotary heroes and initiatives that are transforming communities and creating hope around the world.
Rotary Community Heroes of Hope
Life-Saving Wheels: How Rotarians Fund Rural Emergency Transport
Hello and welcome to the Community. Heroes of Hope, a podcast where we shine a light on the remarkable individuals and projects in Rotary District 5330 that bring hope and change to our local and global communities. I am Judy Zelfikar, your co-host and the current District Governor of Rotary District 5330.
Speaker 2:And I'm Niren McLean, the Rotary District Governor-Elect, and I'm Niren McLean, the Rotary District Governor-Elect. Together, we're diving deep into the heart of the community service, showcasing the impact of dedication and collaboration in addressing some of the most pressing challenges our communities face.
Speaker 1:Each episode, we'll tell stories of incredible people making a difference, innovating solutions and inspiring others to take action.
Speaker 2:We'll also be giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the projects that are transforming their lives, and we'll discuss how you, too, can get involved, contribute and be part of the positive change. Whether you're a seasoned Rotarian or just looking to give back, this podcast is for you.
Speaker 1:So join us as we explore the journeys, challenges and successes of people like you who have stepped up to make a difference. Let's celebrate the spirit of community and the power of hope together.
Speaker 2:Don't forget to subscribe to the Community Heroes of Hope on your favorite podcast platform. Stay with us on this journey of inspiration and let's spread the message of hope further than ever.
Speaker 1:Thank you for tuning in. Let's get started, Niren. I'm going to have you introduce this segment as our newer co-host here to Community Heroes of Hope. What do we have going on today?
Speaker 2:We have an excellent, excellent opportunity to learn how one of our Rotary Clubs up in the high desert is really impacting the Morongo Basin and the lives of the community there. So we have some of our members of our Rotary Club, as well as members of the ambulance service, who have been benefited by the Rotary Club.
Speaker 1:Very well done. Very well done, all right. So then we're going to go ahead and turn it over to Mary. Mary, why don't you introduce yourself and then hand it off to the next person so they can also introduce themselves? Ok, I'm.
Speaker 3:Mary Town, assistant governor for the Yucca Valley Sunset, which is in turn responsible for this donation to a great community project. And, donna, I'll turn it over to you.
Speaker 4:Thank you, mary. I'm Donna Davies and I am a member of the Yucca Valley Sunset Rotary Club and two years ago at our big annual dessert soiree event, at our big annual dessert soiree event, we selected Morongo Basin Ambulance to be the recipient of funds to purchase a portable ventilator to use in their newly started critical care transport program that Craig Bell, who we will introduce next, heads up.
Speaker 1:Craig.
Speaker 5:Craig. Hi, yes, I'm, my name is Craig Bell. I'm the operations chief of Morongo Basin Ambulance here in Joshua Tree. We did receive funding to help us purchase a new ventilator to go towards our our critical care program here, and this has been a massive benefit for our community here. This, this program, the one that we've developed for many years.
Speaker 5:With how isolated our region is, it is very difficult to get nurse staffing up here and to be able to staff those nurses in this kind of rural area for CCT transport Because it's so challenging. It has resulted in patients being held up and delayed in getting down to where they need to go, or unnecessarily upgraded by going and getting flown, which can be a very expensive transport right, especially if it's unnecessary for those patients. So the goal of this program was to allow for a feasible ground transport option, with no interruption in the level of care that they are receiving, to be able to get them from point A to point B safely. So far the program has been working great. The program that we utilize, because we've had such challenges with nurse staffing is we did.
Speaker 5:One of this is the second program within the state of California that's a critical care paramedic program, and so what this allows is it allows an additional, increased level of scope for these paramedics to be able to do critical care transports in a certain realm of capabilities, right? Critical care transports in a certain realm of capabilities right. So these paramedics are able now to do ventilated patients and take them from point A to point B as well as some vasoactive medications that will allow them to control the blood pressure, keep those patients sedated when needed, to be able to keep that ventilation going and ideally not have any kind of interruption in the level of care that they're receiving at the sending facility and be able to continue that care during transport and then allow them to receive further care at their destination hospital for a higher level of care wherever they need to go and these services are super important.
Speaker 1:I don't know and, craig, you can probably educate us all on I know I was at an EMT in the state of Missouri many, many years ago and we were allowed to intubate. But here in the state of California, is it the paramedics that are allowed to intubate or is this ventilator? Does that help in that process? Maybe you can kind of expand on that a little bit.
Speaker 5:Absolutely. That's a great question. A lot of people don't really know the finer details of that right. So, with regards to intubation, a standard paramedic, even in this area, is absolutely able to do that in this area. So being able to establish an advanced airway when necessary is you know? It can mean the difference between life and death, right, and so we can absolutely do that. All the paramedics within our region can do that. So rest assured that those paramedics, if they need to establish that airway, they absolutely will. That said, this program specifically is geared more towards the. This program specifically is geared more towards the inter-facility transport side of making sure that we're getting the patients from the hospital that they're at down to a hospital that is going to continue and provide further, higher level of care that they can't have access to at the facility that they're currently at.
Speaker 1:Oh, I see, so this isn't for emergency care.
Speaker 5:This is for inter-facility transport, correct, correct. And so the challenge that we were having was a lot of these patients were either getting flown, which decreases the quality of life in these patients after if they have a big bill afterwards, right, especially if it wasn't necessary in the first place or, in some occasions, if there was bad weather, then nobody was flying, and so these patients would get isolated up where they can't get that next level of care that they need, right. And then, in addition to that too, it allows for a quick, reliable option so that we have these, these critical care paramedics, on 24 seven, so they're all able to. Hey, we can get this patient down there, no matter what the weather is, no matter what's going on, what time of day or whatever right.
Speaker 5:Exactly, exactly.
Speaker 2:Craig, let me ask you a question the paramedics do they currently have the education, operational skills now, and they were just waiting on something like this ventilator to be able to utilize? Or, now that you have the ventilator, do they have to get additional training?
Speaker 5:so that's a great question.
Speaker 5:So we did. When we acquired the, the ventilator two years ago. You got that acquisition because it is an advanced level scope. We did absolutely have to do some additional training for it because that's not a standard scope for paramedics within our region. So we absolutely did have to program that provided a level of education that was meeting the California state requirements for the critical care aspects for the paramedic Right.
Speaker 5:And so this, this, this program, in addition to completing that didactic that, that that training, they had to go and do clinical training as well, and we partner with Desert Regional Medical Center for their to be able to utilize their, their ICUs. And so we ended up sending our critical care paramedics down to down to their facility to be able to receive some additional training in the critical care setting and ICU settings that they have down there. So that allowed them to get that firsthand experience with, you know, with the help and support of those critical care nurses there, to be able to hey, we feel comfortable going into doing this on our own. So it was a very extensive training program that we ended up having them do and, with that said, they each had to get a specialty care certification, international critical care paramedic certification on top of that to make sure that they were fully good on everything that they need to have done.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. How many patients do you think that this is impacting on an annual basis?
Speaker 5:So, after launching the program, the extensive training, it took over a year to get through all the training that we needed to get done. And then it took an additional year or so nearly a year, I should say in order to the clinical portion. We had them do shadowed transports with a nurse on board, with a critical care nurse on board the transport, just watching and observing making'm proficient in doing A, b and C. Everything is monitored and, you know, qa QI'd to make sure that we're assuring that the care is being delivered appropriately. And so now that these medics have been cleared by the, you know, shadowing RNs, they are on their own. And they've been on their own now since, let's see here, since mid-September or so, and just since then they've already, on their own, transported over 68 transports, critical care transports that would have otherwise not had any option other than either getting flown or being stuck there, you know.
Speaker 1:That's a huge impact and to imagine, Donna, that it was created all from having desserts. Tell us a little bit about this dessert soiree. I'm really excited about this.
Speaker 4:Every year the Yucca Valley Sunset Rotary does this dessert story and we select a nonprofit in our community that has a specific need that we can help out, and that particular year was Gorongo Basin Ambulance. It is a nonprofit ambulance service that has operated in the high desert for almost 80 years. So the dessert soiree we have lots of desserts and appetizers and we also have a live and silent auction. We have a $1,000 deal or no deal game where people who are their lucky number is drawn and they get a chance to open or pass on different briefcases containing and I saw those briefcases that's actually done just like Deal or no Deal.
Speaker 1:It was kind of fun, the game excuse me, just like the Howie Mandel game on tv several years ago yeah, that's awesome, and at first I thought that, niren, it was the desert soiree and Mary informed me no, it is the dessert soiree. And who's making these desserts, mary?
Speaker 3:well, we've had different organizations make the desserts from year to year, but the last couple years Donna and Becky members of our club organizations make the desserts from year to year, but the last couple of years Donna and Becky members of our club, have done the desserts for the Desserts Foray, which they are fantastic at. Also, the Ambulance Association didn't say how many miles that they travel to do these transports. Craig, would you mind telling them?
Speaker 5:Can you repeat the comment there? I apologize.
Speaker 3:How many miles do you travel the area that you cover?
Speaker 5:Our square mile area? Absolutely, it's a very, very large service area. We cover 2,700 square miles and we do that with four ambulances, and that doesn't include doing the inter-facility transfers too. So we're a nonprofit. Our region is we have a high percentage of low-income transports and patients within our community, unfortunately, but that does affect what kind of revenues that we're able to generate with that. We don't receive any kind of tax dollars. We're not a public entity, we are a nonprofit, so that's it.
Speaker 5:Any and all of our revenues come from insurance reimbursement and, unfortunately, the low income that we have within our area, because it's so rural and out of the main area of the inner cities, it does affect how much reimbursement we receive, and so we're limited on how many units that we are able to staff up. I would love to see additional staffing, but unfortunately the budget just doesn't allow for that additional staffing, you know. So, as much as I would wish to be able to, hey, we can have five units or six units. You know it's very challenging with how the budget works out. So yeah, and so with how tight our budget is being able to be provided this ventilator was a massive help on getting this off the ground, because I'm not sure that we would have been able to get this off the ground without that support from our community and our Rotary Club here.
Speaker 2:So are you the exclusive ambulance service for the Morongo Basin.
Speaker 5:Not the entirety of the basin, yucca Valley, inner City, is covered by San Marino County Fire Department.
Speaker 5:They have their own ambulance Within that district.
Speaker 5:But, that said, all the surrounding Areas, wonder Valley, joshua Tree, 29 Palms, landers, johnson Valley, wonder Valley, and a a large chunk of the park and outlying areas, as far as you know, when we get a little closer to Arizona, that way, that's all us, so it's you know. Even we go all the way out to Amboy, even, or Cadiz with you know, and sometimes that one call right, right, we're attaching one crew to that one call can take hours, you know. So, yeah, it can be a long time, especially if we're going to the hearts park. Sometimes we they end up getting, uh, you know, a hiking or something along those lines and, um, a lot of our, our staff are are very up to hey, that's you know. That's why I wanted to work out here and, you know, be able to to get different kinds of calls, right, because we don't quite get that. Normally when we're in the inner city we don't get a hiking call, you know, that's something different, you know so a lot of guys end up like doing that.
Speaker 1:And this is what I love. I love our Rotary clubs in our district and really around the world, because these are not necessarily very large clubs, so small but mighty. And tell us a little bit about the numbers, donna or Mary, whichever one would like to answer this question. This isn't the first donation I think you've given. If I remember correctly, there's an ambulance that was also provided to this group. So tell us about what type of or what level of donation is this in dollars that your wonderful club has been able to do through your efforts, either at the Orchid Festival and or at the Dessert Soiree?
Speaker 4:Mary, are you taking it or do you want me to try?
Speaker 3:You can go ahead and try, donna, okay.
Speaker 4:For the Dessert Soiree. This is the 21st year that we've done the dessert story and so typically uh, we will net out of our proceeds for our uh recipient right around 25 to 30 000, which is a good chunk of change from our small community. We have tremendous community support. And then for our orchid festival that orchid festival at Googler Orchids and Chris Debbie and Kelsey Googler are longtime members of our Rotary Club. They donate all the proceeds, less sales tax of course, from their orchid sales for the entire weekend, and that's the first weekend in October up in Landers, and so they invite probably about 20 nonprofits to participate in the orchid festival and we all have the opportunity to uh as a non-profit. Uh do raffles, give out information to the community uh and sell beer, orchid beer yeah, good rock and roll too.
Speaker 4:One of our members is a wonderful beer brewer at Joshua Tree Brewery and so he makes these wonderful. He makes two or three orchid beers made from actual orchid flowers and one of them is a very popular share baby. Our orchid beers sell out every year, so the money from all of this weekend the orchid festival weekend is divided up among the non-profits, and visitors to the event get rotary bucks and when they make certain purchases they get back certain rotary bucks and they can choose the non-profit that they want to reward. So it's a great fun weekend and we make quite a bit of money. That's the biggest fundraiser of the year.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. So, in addition to the ventilator that you've given to the Morongo Basin Ambulance nonprofit, what else have you have given to them over the years? Mary, I think you're going to have to answer this one.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'll take that. We've helped in donating ambulances. Usually what it is is their ambulance can only handle so many years of service out here in the community. So they'll donate the ambulance as long as we can pay the taxes, and usually what we do with that ambulance is send it down to Mexico where they really need help. But our fellow Rotarians have all volunteered money and any help that we can give to our nonprofit ambulance association so they also have a membership drive that the Ambulance Association has for anyone up in the high desert so that they can belong to this Ambulance Association and be transported with less of a cost to them.
Speaker 1:That's wonderful.
Speaker 3:The other thing that we've done and it's not for the Ambulance Association we've also donated a van to an organization, reach Out Morongo Basin, which transports elderly, severely handicapped or disadvantaged personnel to doctor's appointments, groceries, meals, shopping, and between the two of these organizations we've donated over $50,000 in the last two years.
Speaker 1:That's extraordinary. Well, you guys are definitely doing some amazing work out there. Any final thoughts before we wrap up the podcast today.
Speaker 3:Look forward to seeing everybody. December or, pardon me, April 8th. Right, Donna, for the dessert sorbet. April 5th, oh 5th.
Speaker 1:April 5th, and where would somebody go to take a look at that? What is the website they'd go to?
Speaker 4:SunsetRotaryorg.
Speaker 1:SunsetRotaryorg.
Speaker 4:And we'll be putting up information about the dessert store in Murray just as soon as I get back from my trip. So about 10 days, so about 10 days.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, that should go up prior to this podcast being published. So we'll make sure and put you towards the end of the line so that we can get that up there and everybody can participate. Craig, any final words? Wonderful.
Speaker 5:No, no, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2:Well, we really admire the work that you're doing, craig, and I know that you're playing with limited dollars there, dealing with Medi-Cal funding, et cetera, so thank you for the work you do covering that area. That's extraordinary.
Speaker 5:Absolutely Always happy to help.
Speaker 1:And great job, rotarians, for once again doing service above self to really help our communities and working in collaboration with those other nonprofits in our communities to do good in our world. So thanks again, thanks for all of you coming out today and we look forward to spreading the word and having more people come and support this effort.
Speaker 3:Thank you, Judy.
Speaker 1:Thank you, niren. Thank you. So that wraps up this episode of Heroes of Hope. We are so happy that we have an audience out there listening. We want you to subscribe, share and tell your friends about the Rotary Community Heroes of Hope, because that's how we get the word out about the impact we're having in this world.