Collaboration in Action: IU Health Saxony and Fishers Fire Department Partner to Save Lives in Medical Emergencies

Natalie Zipper, manager of clinical operations for IU Health Saxony’s emergency department, emphasized the importance of partnership in benefiting patients. By getting to know each other’s roles and responsibilities, both medical staff and firefighters can work together seamlessly to save patients during emergencies. The recent three-day emergency medical services training with Fishers Fire Department personnel was an example of this collaboration.

During the training exercise, nurses and doctors from IU Health Saxony and North hospitals offered medical feedback to the firefighters and took on roles as patients and bystanders. Fishers Fire Department meticulously planned various scenarios for the training exercise, including medical emergencies during fires, crew injuries, multiple gunshot emergencies, and more.

Lieutenant Jeff Stephenson from the Fishers Fire Department highlighted the importance of establishing a strong teamwork relationship between first responders and hospital staff for better patient outcomes. Through this collaboration, IU Health and the Fishers Fire Department aim to ensure a smooth transition of care from the moment first responders arrive on the scene to the patient’s time at the hospital.