About this role
Emergency Communications Specialist
- Rockford, Illinois
- 40 hours/week
- Full-time, benefits eligible
We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes health and dental insurance, tuition reimbursement, retirement plan with a competitive matching contribution and paid time off. Mercyhealth offers several education assistance programs to support employees in their career advancement. Mercyhealth employees have access to our internal and external employee assistance programs, employee-only discount packages, paid parental and caregiver leaves, on-demand pay, special payment programs for patient services, and financial education to help with retirement planning.
Experience a rewarding and fulfilling career with Mercyhealth. Mercyhealth is committed to offering our partners a best place to work. Our unique workplace Culture of Excellence is built upon:
- Employee engagement, empowerment and growth
Teamwork toward our common goal – providing exceptional health care services with a passion for making lives better
An atmosphere of caring and quality that cascades throughout the organization
Responsibilities
Job Duties:
- Takes scheduled and emergency requests for REACT, NICU, ER, Labor and Delivery, Security, ECC, Pecatonica and Win-Bur-Sew Fire Departments, Metro Medical Services, Inc. and Rockford. Prioritizes all calls and dispatches to appropriate agency in proper response configuration. Obtains required key question information and gives pre-arrival instructions in accordance with Medical Priority protocols.
- Participates in simultaneously monitoring 8 radio channels, 2 intercoms, 6 remote repeater sites, answering 20 phone lines, and monitoring the weather radio and scanner. Selects and adjusts required frequencies for transmissions. Monitors all radio frequencies and answers all radio calls in a timely and professional manner in accordance with FCC rules and regulations.
- Answers phone line courteously and professionally. Proficiently utilizes the phone system including intercom box, transfers calls, pages, sets up 3 party calls, and phone patches to the radio, uses TDD, etc. Understands which lines are emergency vs. non-emergency and prioritizes most emergent calls. Understands second function capability. Maintains the fax machine.
- Utilizes Weathermation to access needed weather for REACT pilot. Accesses weather information efficiently and reads the basics of the weather report to the pilot when needed in emergencies. Maintains knowledge of the REACT aircraft incident/accident plan in the event of a downed aircraft.
- Recognizes UPS failure and notifies proper personnel. Knows how to reset unit. Recognizes computer failure and contacts appropriate personnel for repairs, ensuring ECC is operational 24 hours a day. Familiar with policies and procedures for all ECC dispatch affiliates. Follows hospital and ECC policy and regulations.
- Knows policy for shutting doors during emergency lock down. Monitors Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) sending the correct units to the fire scene. Demonstrates proficiency and ability use and back-up computer CAD and Aeromed Software.
- Activate trauma team for any incoming emergencies. Plots Loran or GPS for Helicopter and crew. Monitor NIFERN radio frequency and demonstrates proficiency and ability in using the MABAS cards during major fire incidents. On Virgo radio assigns the proper medical channel to units in the field in need of Medical Control assistance.
- Maintains Emergency Medical Dispatch certification for the ECC. Instructs new employees in the operation, policy, procedures of the dept. as directed by supv. Instructs nursing staff in use of medical (Virgo) radios and trains them in proper radio technique.
- Maintains frequent contact with external contacts. (For example: Winn. 911 center, Social Service workers form the other hospitals to set up ambulance/wheel chair transports, ER doctors and nurses in outlying towns requesting REACT. and Com Ed, NI Gas, State Police, Sheriff's dept. Phone Company, etc.)
- Familiar with all hospital policies/procedures, communications SOP, REACT operations, disaster plans, post-accident plans, infection control plans, trauma, cardiac and internal transport procedures as well as the day to day hospital policies and procedures, as required.
- Confers timely and appropriately with internal contacts. (For example: Confers every 12 hours with REACT to receive Flight and Ground crew member's information. Confers with ER charge nurse, medical control with receipt of ambulance inbound report. Does pager test with trauma team nightly. If REACT is unavailable, contact another helicopter service. Confers with CRC to inform of new patient arrival status,etc)
Requirements:
High School diploma or equivalent
Minimum 1 year post high school coursework in medical terminology and/or related field
3 years’ experience in hospital, pre-hospital or emergency dispatching preferred
Licensed Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) within 9 months of hire.
Other facts
About Mercyhealth
At Mercyhealth, our doctors, nurses and staff are committed to making lives better for our patients and their families. They bring knowledge and innovation to ensure that our patients receive world-class health care, close to home.
As an integrated health system, we provide exceptional, coordinated health care for almost every need. Integration improves access to services, technology and treatments, and leads to better outcomes. To best serve our patients, our integration centers around four core service areas: hospital-based services, clinic-based services, post-acute and retail services (home health, hospice, pharmacies, etc.), and a wholly owned and operated insurance company.
At the heart of our organization are more than 7,000 doctors, nurses, staff and volunteers who live the Mercyhealth mission of providing exceptional health care services with a passion for making lives better. We’re committed to working together to make lives better for our patients and their families.
Our passion drives and inspires us to do our very best, and we continuously look for ways to make each life better with the utmost care and professionalism. This can be as complex as a cutting-edge procedure or as simple as a smile. Nothing is ever too small or taken for granted. Everything matters.
What you'll do
- This role involves taking scheduled and emergency requests from various critical services, prioritizing calls, dispatching appropriate agencies, and providing pre-arrival instructions based on Medical Priority protocols. Responsibilities also include simultaneously monitoring numerous radio channels, intercoms, and phone lines while adhering to FCC regulations and maintaining operational readiness of communication equipment.
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