An emergency medical technician transmits 12 lead EKG readings to the DRMC Emergency Department.

Since the first of the year, Delta Regional Medical Center has been making every moment count by transmitting electrocardiograms from ambulances to the DRMC Emergency Department via the latest technology. Utilizing this new capability through ZOLL Medical Corporation to aide in rapid cardiac management, Emergency Medical Services can transmit a 12 lead EKG to physicians who can interpret the EKG before the patient arrives at the hospital. This method not only saves valuable minutes upon arrival in the emergency room, it also aides ambulance personnel in treating patients.

"We are excited to be the first hospital in the state utilizing this new technology," said Jerry Graham, director of the hospital's EMS. "This equipment cuts down on wait time in preparing for the patient at the ER as it also assists the EMS onsite. All the ER staff, including physicians, like the accuracy and timeliness."

The new technology is also getting a positive response from patients and their families, according to Debra Wintory, marketing and media specialist at DRMC. "People are amazed that this technology exists," she said. "All in all, it's going very well."

She says DRMC obtained several grants to fund this project, purchasing five ZOLL monitors that included software to transmit EKGs from ambulances to the hospital. "We felt we needed to step into the new era of medicine with these monitors, and we made it happen with grants," she said.

Carmen Wright, director of the Emergency Department, said, "By having the capabilities to fax EKGs from one of our ambulances, we are now able to provide more definitive care in a timely manner for patients who are having heart attacks. This is crucial because it can decrease the amount of heart muscle damaged and can improve the patient outcome from such a serious illness."

Representatives from ZOLL traveled to Greenville to train DRMC personnel in two seminars.

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