Children’s Mercy Presents Lifesaving Award
At the City Commission meeting on February 20th, Heather Scruton, Assistant Director of Critical Care Transport & EMS Relations at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, presented the lifesaving “Hearts of Kindness” Award. This award was designed to recognize the extraordinary actions of first responders in the care of children. Heather presented this award to Arkansas City police officers: Lt. Corey Combs and Sgt. Detective Kelsey Horinek, and EMS personnel: Firefighter-EMT Isaac Hobbs, Firefighter-Paramedic Brandy Rice, Firefighter-EMT Patrick Rodke, Engineer-EMT Logon French, and Fire Marshall Chet Ranzau. SCK Health would like to extend our congratulations to these first responders, it is inspiring to see such selfless individuals go above and beyond their duty to serve and protect the community and be recognized for their actions. We are honored to have them as part of our community, and part of our healthcare team.
SCK Health’s Emergency Department’s Physician Assistant Rachel Hutson, Registered Nurse (RN) Cameron Vickery, House Supervisor-RN Melissa Bodkins, and Emergency Department team leader RN Bonnie Schieber, also received special recognition for their excellent treatment in stabilizing the patient while awaiting transport. According to Heather, Children’s Mercy Critical Care transport is the second busiest Critical Care transport in the United States, doing about 6,000 transports of children every year. She goes on to say that “her team is hard to impress. They are used to going into places that do not have pediatric training, few resources, and are hanging on by their fingernails.” However, it was clear this was not the case at SCK Health when she received an email from her nurse, Lauren, regarding the care that was provided.
In the email, Lauren stated, “We went to Arkansas City yesterday and they had a very unwell young man and this whole community did an exceptional job of providing care for him. From local EMS who made sure we had copies of the rhythms in the field to the local ED who managed his care with precision and incredible use of resources… I am certain that this community, down to the responding officer who was first on scene and initiated CPR, gave this family whatever swing for the fences chance they have with their teen and that is work to be proud of.” Heather added that SCK Health “responded in a way that you would see in a large urban area. It’s extraordinary… This young man walked out of the hospital fully neurologically intact, and that is remarkable. This would not have happened had every link in this chain not performed at an outstanding level.”
When asked about the recognition from Children’s Mercy, SCK Health ED Team Leader, RN Bonnie Schieber, stated, “Our community is extremely fortunate to have such an exceptional emergency care team. From the nursing staff to the providers, these individuals are intensely qualified, and have the knowledge, skills, and training to stabilize and manage the critically ill or injured patient. I am proud of who we are and what we do, and even more proud of what we accomplish as a team. We are your Emergency Care Team, and we are here for you.” SCK Health, which transitioned to a Rural Emergency Hospital in August of 2023, is proud to serve the community of Arkansas City and continues to provide great quality care close to home. When minutes matter, our team saves lives. We are #SCKHealthProud
