GREENVILLE—Spirit EMS recently held its annual Christmas Party for its staff, family,
and friends.
The event kicked off with a special Medflight arrival by Santa Clause himself.
It was held in the Coliseum and Youth Building at the Darke County Fairgrounds.
The company took time to acknowledge the many accomplishments they’ve achieved
over the course of 2022.
“We are forever grateful for our outstanding employee base,” Spirit President and CEO
Brian Hathaway said. “As owners, Aaron and I wanted to focus this year’s Christmas
party around how we make the patient experience better, not only for our patients, but
the facilities we serve and most of all our employees. So, as we planned the reveals at
this year’s Christmas party, we had those very thoughts in mind.”
Hathaway and Spirit EMS Vice President Aaron Guthrie presented their staff with
several exciting reveals.
The biggest reveals included six new Dodge Promaster 2500 ambulances that allow for
someone as tall as six-foot to stand up in the back of them, as well as eight Stryker
powerload systems, and two additional ambulances, one of which was a remount. The
company also purchased three additional Lucas devises that give chest compressions
during a cardiac arrest. They also purchased IV pumps for the ambulance, a new
disposable c-pap/b-pap devise for high acuity patients with breathing problems.
Additionally, they purchased six new cardiac monitors so that all company ambulances
are equipped with a Lifepack 15. Spirit has six stations, and each of them now have
their own oxygen cascade system to fill their portable oxygen tanks. The biggest
surprise this year was an oxygen generating system so the company may begin
generating its own medical oxygen for its patients. This system comes with a quick-
connect hose that will allow EMS workers to fill the oxygen tank on the ambulance
without having to lift it out of the truck.
As of Sunday, Spirit EMS completed 30,850 total runs for 2022 between ambulance,
ambulatory, and wheelchair, which is 1,333 more runs than 2021.
“The Spirit family of professionals worked 160,357.54 hours, ensuring care and
compassion was taken with every person we transported,” Hathaway said.
Spirit EMS management meets four times a year to set goals, and ensure the company
is achieving them.
Some highlights that Spirit achieved in 2022:
Hired Anita Miller as part-time Life/Career coach for the entire employee base
Maintained day to day operations at Greenville, all the while sending seven
ambulances on deployment with AMR/FEMA
Achieved another successful special event season, with numerous races covered
at Eldora Speedway, a record-breaking crowd at Country Concert and another
successful Great Darke County Fair. Completed a few other additional special
events this year outside of the BIG 3.
Began talks with all of our hospital partnerships on how to improve
efficiencies and maximize utilization of resources. This is something
that will continue in 2023.
Started training the EMT scholarship candidates to operate the ambulances
before beginning EMT class.
Awarded a three-year contract with the Houston Joint Ambulance District to
provide 9-1-1 EMS services for all of Loramie and Washington townships in
Shelby County, for 2023.
Wrote a grant for wellness that was awarded to the Perry Port Salem EMS
district.
Grew community involvement this year and actively participated in eighteen
community parades throughout the areas we serve in western Ohio and
eastern Indiana.
Lowest employee turnover rate in several years.
Continued to grow relationships with many of the Darke County Fire and EMS
agencies to include loaning them our equipment to use at their special
functions.
Attended several conferences this year to stay up with the very latest and
greatest in the industry. We attended the state EMS conferences for both Ohio
and Indiana, as well as EMS World in Orlando, and the PWW compliance and
billing conference in Hershey, PA.
Guthrie and Hathaway also memorialized three members of the Spirit EMS Community
on the back of medics. This is a yearly tradition to remember people who were
influential in the company’s success, whom passed away within the past year. The first
person they recognized was Joan Barnett, 64, who passed away unexpectedly on July
11, 2022. She worked as a registered nurse, as was the Director of Regulatory Affairs
and Risk Management at Wayne HealthCare.
“Joan was very influential over the years with Spirit’s success,” Hathaway said, “from
her weekends as House Supervisor when Spirit first started, to always looking out for
the best interest of everyone in her role as Director of Regulatory Affairs and Risk
Management.”
“She was a wonderful, kind, caring women, who will be missed,” he added.
Charles Zimmer, 34, who passed away on June 9, 2022, was also recognized. He was
the Co-Owner of Agri Air LLC, with his wife Krista, and partnered with his brother on
their farm.
“Charles was instrumental three years ago in helping start a tradition that began as a
joke,” Guthrie said. “The standing joke had always been that Spirit was going to buy a
helicopter. Three years ago, Charles helped fly Santa to the annual Christmas party.
That year we decided that Charles would help make it a Spirit tradition.”
“In the wake of his unexpected death, the administration of Medflight-8 in Eaton vowed
to keep the Spirit tradition alive tonight, and fly Santa to our party for everyone to enjoy,”
he added.
Lastly, Krista Zimmer, 35, who passed away on June 7, 2022, was memorialized. She
was the Co-Owner of Agri Air LLC, with her husband Charles, as well as a crop
insurance agent and a precision meter master.
Krista and Charles were married June 4, 2010.
“In years past, while Charles was helping fly Santa to the Spirit Christmas party, Krista
was the one keeping the kids entertained,” Guthrie said.
Their families were presented with memorial plaques following the presentations, as
well as each will have their own memorials on a Spirit EMS ambulance.
In addition to many reveals, presentations and honors, attendees enjoyed appetizers,
drinks, a holiday meal was prepared and served by the Spirit management team, and
employee door prizes.
Although Spirit is concluding a successful 2022, they’re continuing to achieve, and set
new goals.
Initial goals set for 2023 include:
Pour new concrete around the entry ways at the Greenville station.
Update attendance points system policy thanks to the employee retreat held
earlier this year.
Start a tuition reimbursement program for the employee base.
Expand services to our employee base from our job and career coach services.
Update dispatch, billing, and patient care system so it’s more user friendly for our
employees and the CDST team.
Spirit EMS is located at 5484 State Route 49 S., Greenville, Ohio, 45331, with additional
locations in Houston, Sidney, Van Wert, Celina, OH, and Liberty, IN. Due to expanded
needs for their services, Spirit is hiring for all locations. For more information on open
positions or to apply, go to www.spiritmedicaltransport.com/job-openings.
