Antelope Memorial's Ambulance Gets An Upgrade

The residents of Antelope County have always been able to sleep well knowing their health is in good hands with the Antelope Memorial crew, and now they are getting an upgrade.

Antelope Memorial’s EMS team is now officially an Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance, meaning more access to more life-saving equipment for patients. 

“Before we could just do blood pressure and vitals first, we could check blood sugars, we could give glucose, epipens and albuterol. Now we can give 35 cardiac drugs, we can RSI somebody if we had to and we can actually breath for them if they are getting CPR or they are having an allergic reaction,” explained Neligh Rescue Captain Jared Jacob.

Along with the designation as an ALS ambulance, some EMTs are now certified as paramedics. Antelope Memorial will have six staff members that are considered paramedics, two nurses and four medics: Michelle Carothers, Karmen Rotherham, Joan Wright, Thomas Carothers, Brian Schlote and Julie Tschirren. That designation is not an easy achievement, as it takes on average about two and a half years of schooling to earn, according to Jacob.

Rotherham said the combination of EMTs, nurses and paramedics give Antelope Memorial Hospital’s ambulance service a top-notch crew to serve the area. The new equipment available to them with the ALS designation will also help improve a patient’s chances in an accident.

“We are able to do things like a 12 lead EKG and transmit it to AMH so the doctors are able to see what is going on with the patient prior to the ambulance arrival so they are able to order all of the tests needed for the patient sooner,” Rotherham said. “The ambulance service at Antelope Memorial Hospital going to Advanced Life Support will help with getting patients the care they need even sooner.”