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TEG THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2016 V V V PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1895 V V V PIT CREW CPR NOW AT NEWMAN REGIONAL HEALTH SEE PAGE 16 WWW.EMPORIAGAZETTE.COM NEWMAN CEO CONFIDENT MEDICARE COVERAGE WILL CONTINUE By Jessie Wagoner [email protected] Newman Regional Health is one of the first Kansas hospitals to implement the newest guidelines for CPR — high quality CPR also referred to as “pit crew CPR.” In the last week, all staff at Newman that who contact with patients have been trained in the technique. Pit crew CPR isn’t new. The technique is used almost exclusively by EMS but, until recently, was only used in a handful of hospitals in Minnesota. Kayla Baker, RN, says that will soon change as the American Heart Association released the new guidelines in January recommending the practice. She anticipates that other hospitals will soon begin to follow the guidelines. Over the last week, Baker, Katelyn Haddock, RN and Juli Heitman, clinical educator have been using the clinical skills and simulation lab housed at the hospital to train all staff. The clinical skills and simulation lab is a collaboration between the hospital, Emporia State University and Flint Hills Technical College. The lab and the simulation dummies were made possible through donations from the Trusler Foundation and the E.L. & Z. Irene Hopkins Foundation. “We are training all our staff on how to respond to a code blue,” Baker said. “The way we are training them is a very organized way, where each person has a specific task and position and they know that immediately going into the room. It is all based on their arrival to the code.” When a code blue occurs, all available staff respond to the room. By John Robinson [email protected] JESSIE WAGONER/GAZETTE Newman Regional Health employees take part in a CPR training simulation. One team member performs chest compressions on the simulation dummy while other employees monitor vitals.  Baker says that code blues are obviously a high stress situation for all parties involved. Rather than multiple medical professionals entering the room and trying to determine in that moment who will do what, adopting the pit crew mentality helps to reduce some of the stress of the moment. “From my experience of being in codes and experiencing how they have been run, I knew there was JESSIE WAGONER/GAZETTE something different we could do to have them more organized and All Newman Regional Health employees who provide patient care less chaotic,” Baker said. “That was participated in a training simulation on six-person high-performance our main motivation for this. Every CPR. This technique has been used by emergency services but was personnel coming in feels comfortPlease see CPR, Page 3 recently recommended by the American Heart Association as the preferred protocol for CPR. NRH is one of the first hospitals in the state to train all of their employees on technique.  Newman Regional Health CEO Bob Wright expressed confidence that the hospital will not lose its Medicare coverage on April 4. Earlier in the month, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a public notice which stated Newman was not in compliance with Medicare regulations.  The violation stemmed from two incidents where Newman failed to release mental health patients from the emergency department. One incident occurred in September, while the other occurred in January. According to Julie Brookhart, public affairs specialist for CMS’ Kansas City Regional Office, Newman was placed on the 90day termination track for Medicare services and if the hospital became compliant with federal regulations before April 4, CMS would rescind the termination notice. According to Wright, Newman was resurveyed on March Please see Medicare, Page 3 CITY COMMISSION DISCUSSES FOOD TRUCKS, TOWING POLICY By John Robinson [email protected] COURTESY PHOTO The Emporia State University, Department of Music, Wind Ensemble, will present a the President’s Concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Albert Taylor Hall. UNIVERSITY MUSICIANS TO HONOR PRESIDENT WITH GALA CONCERT By Regina Murphy [email protected] Emporia State University’s 17th President Allison Garrett will be the honoree for the President’s Concert, to be held at 7:30 p.m. April 5 in Albert Taylor Hall, Plumb Hall, 1 Kellogg Circle. It will feature the ESU Chamber Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble I with special pre-concert entertainment by the Chamber Choir in the lobby. “This concert is the Department of Music’s way of welcoming our new university president, Dr. Allison Garrett, to ESU,” said organizer Gary Ziek. “The Music Department will be rolling out the Please see Concert, Page 3 COURTESY PHOTO VOL. 124, NO. 233 Members of the Emporia State University Jazz Ensemble I, shown here at the Lincoln Center, will perform at the President’s Concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Albert Taylor Hall. The Emporia City Commission met for a study session Wednesday morning. The commission heard from Joseph Foster with Planning and Zoning about allowing a special permit for mobile food trucks in Emporia. “All we have in place right now is temporary-use permit that allows for a maximum of 40 days,” Foster said while also sharing with the commission how he believes food trucks benefit a community. “They’ve been known to revitalize blighted and struggling areas and add culture to a community.” The permit would last for 30 days, would cost $50 to renew and would allow mobile food trucks to operate in commercial and industrial zones in Emporia for up to 12 hours each day. The trucks would also be required to operate 50 feet from any brick and mortar restaurant unless they are given written permissio