December 13, 2017 - The Superior North Emergency Medical Services and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) have joined forces to implement a process which will see paramedics transmit positive ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) 12-leads to an interventional cardiologist at the TBRHSC which will see the patient by-pass the Emergency Room and go directly to the Cardiac Catheter lab for treatment. 

This new procedure will see paramedics assess their patient and obtain a 12-lead Electrocardiogram (ECG) at the scene. They then interpret the ECG to determine if there is ST elevation, which is often indicative of a Myocardial Infarction, otherwise known as a heart attack.

If a STEMI is found, the paramedic will wirelessly transmit that ECG to the interventional cardiologist at the TBRHSC for further interpretation. The interventional cardiologist may then patch to the paramedics through our dispatch centre to ask any questions they may have. All of this occurs without delaying transportation to the hospital, which saves the patient precious time to treatment. 

"We have been working on this with the TBRHSC and our communications centre for some time now, so it is great to finally have all the pieces in place to implement this project" said Andrew Dillon, Deputy Chief, Superior North EMS. "Our focus is on providing all citizens and visitors of the District of Thunder Bay with the best pre-hospital care possible, and this initiative is another way for us to do this. Superior North EMS has some of the highest trained paramedics in the province, and this level of expertise, along with the commitment and dedication of our staff, allows us to expand the level of service we provide each and every day with new and innovative medical care."

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Contact: Andrew Dillon, Deputy Chief, Superior North EMS, 625-4615 or 627-4155 (cell)