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Wayne Memorial Hospital Enhances Emergency Services

HONESDALE — Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale is enhancing its emergency command services. All it took was a “Red Phone.” “It enables...

HONESDALE -- Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale is enhancing its emergency command services.

All it took was a "Red Phone."

"It enables us to give medic commands above their EMS protocols and it gives us much better care of the patient coming to the institution and preparing for them to arrive here," said Dr. Ken Berry, emergency department physician.

This "Red Phone" now makes Wayne Memorial a Medical Command Services Facility, credentialed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

"It's very important. I mean it gives us another option for when we have a critical patient or something like that. we can call and talk to the doctor for some additional advice to provide a higher level of care to the patient," said Kraig Welsh, paramedic operations supervisor.

In the past, it was often difficult to get in touch with a doctor at the emergency room before they arrived with a patient, so this red phone gives them that direct link they have needed.

"Communication here in Wayne County is difficult at times, so this gives us a direct link right into the ER where we know a doctor will be standing by 24/7," said Welsh.

Wayne Memorial Hospital installed the "Red Phone" about a week ago and Dr. Ken Berry has already answered a few calls. He calls it a good tool for patients who may need a specific kind of care.

"Let's say the EMTs have done all their protocols and they have needs that are above and beyond their protocols, for example, blood pressure that was unresponsive to original efforts, we can actually interact with them and give further medications and advice relative to the treatment of that patient," said Dr. Berry.

The medical command at Wayne Memorial works with more than a dozen ambulance companies in Wayne, Pike, and Lackawanna Counties.

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