Upper Arlington STAY UA Program Receives
"Health Care Heroes" Award From Business First
| Pictured from left: Council Member Mary Ann
Krauss, Dan Berger of InCare, Fire Chief Jeff
Young, Assistant City Manager Joe Valentino,
former Council Member Linda Mauger, Dan
Fagan of InCare, Matt Kelhmeier of National
Church Residences, and former Fire Chief
Mitch Ross.
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| Dr. Medard Lutmerding, Fire Chief Jeff Young.
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The City of Upper Arlington is pleased to announce its Services to Age in Your Upper Arlington (STAY UA) Program has been named as the 2010 "Innovator Honoree" by Business First's annual Health Care Heroes Awards Program.
Believed to be the first program of its kind in the country, STAY UA was begun in April 2009 as a pilot program and immediately began making a meaningful difference in the lives of the community's elderly and frail residents when they most needed help. STAY UA is now an established program embedded within the Fire Division's Training & EMS Office, in partnership with local home health care agency InCare, a subsidiary of National Church Residences.
When called to the home of residents having issues living independently, the City's Fire Division emergency responders refer them to the STAY UA Service Coordinator to help identify appropriate support resources. This unique approach is a win-win on several levels. The City's EMS crews are oftentimes the first alerted to a resident who is experiencing problems. However, these crews lack the skills, resources and time to assist residents beyond responding to the emergency call. The STAY UA Service Coordinator provides the missing link between first responders and appropriate existing community support services. In many cases, this extra step can mean the difference between residents reaching a crisis situation and premature admission to institutionalized care, or being connected with in-home services and support that enable them to remain safely at home.
Before STAY UA was established, over a six month period more than 260 emergency calls were made requesting EMS crews that turned out not to be non-emergency in nature. In its first 10 months of operation, STAY UA helped reduce these types of calls to less than 10, with the Service Coordinator logging 184 referrals to appropriate support services on behalf of the elderly residents involved.
"I could not be more proud of the work all the partners have put forth to develop this program and make it a success," said Fire Chief Jeff Young.
Additional details of the STAY UA Program can be obtained by calling the Upper Arlington Fire Division at 583-5100 or clicking on the link below.
Congratulations also go to UA resident Dr. Medard Lutmerding, who received an Honorable Mention in the "Health Care Manager" category at the awards program, for his work on the Central Ohio Trauma System to address and reduce issues associated with emergency-run hospital diversions. An active participant within his own community, we are proud to count Dr. Lutmerding as a member of the City's Medical Advisory Board, which provides professional supervision, training and support of the City's emergency medical service program.
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