Mercy Flight Central Brings Regional First Responder Community Together in Vernon

Nearly 100 first responders, nurses, healthcare professionals, educators and industry partners came together in Vernon for Mercy Flight Central’s Fall Education Conference, creating an opportunity not only to strengthen clinical skills, but to strengthen the relationships that connect emergency and critical care providers across the region.

For Mercy Flight Central, bringing the first responder and healthcare community together is an important extension of its mission. Every day, the organization works alongside EMS agencies, hospitals, dispatch centers and healthcare providers to ensure critically ill and injured patients can access the care they need. Events such as the Fall Education Conference provide an opportunity to strengthen those relationships, share knowledge and build connections across the region before an emergency occurs.

The full-day conference offered continuing medical education across a variety of topics relevant to EMS and healthcare professionals, while also creating space for attendees to share experiences, exchange ideas and connect with colleagues from agencies and organizations throughout the region. A strong focus throughout the day was the mental health and well-being of first responders, recognizing that supporting those who care for others is an essential part of building a strong emergency response community.

The conference opened with keynote speaker Drew Anderson, PhD, EMT, who focused on building a stronger culture of peer support within EMS. His presentation challenged attendees to think about peer support as something that should happen every day - not only following a traumatic call or when someone reaches a breaking point. Anderson discussed how routine stress can accumulate over time and emphasized the importance of reaching colleagues earlier, normalizing asking for help and creating a culture in which first responders actively look out for one another.

“Exceptional patient care depends on much more than any one organization,” said Lauren Kolb, President and CEO of Mercy Flight Central. “It takes strong relationships between first responders, hospitals, clinicians, communications teams and transport providers. When we bring this community together to learn from one another, practice together and build relationships, we strengthen the entire system of care available to the people we serve.”

That focus continued through the close of the conference, when attendees heard from a therapist about compassion fatigue and moral injury - challenges that can develop through repeated exposure to difficult circumstances and the emotional demands of caring for others. The session

provided first responders with practical tools and strategies to recognize those challenges, support their own well-being and help colleagues through difficult times.

Hands-on learning was another major component of the conference. Shane O’Donnell led an interactive Airway Management Skills Lab with multiple skills stations, giving attendees the opportunity to practice airway management techniques and translate classroom learning into practical skills they can use in patient care.

Just as important as the formal education were the conversations happening throughout the day. Attendees representing different roles, agencies and communities shared experiences, exchanged ideas and built new connections across the regional first responder and healthcare community.

Mercy Flight Central also recognized ZOLL, MVHS Stroke & Trauma Units, VCI and Midstate EMS for supporting the conference as vendors and partners in regional education.

From clinical skills and continuing education to peer support and first responder mental health, the Fall Education Conference reflected Mercy Flight Central’s commitment to investing in both the people and the partnerships that make strong emergency and critical care possible throughout Central and Upstate New York.

About Mercy Flight Central

Founded in 1992, Mercy Flight Central is a nonprofit air medical service that provides high quality emergency medical transport to the critically ill and injured. Mercy Flight Central's highly skilled medical teams respond with ICU-level care when time is of the essence. MFC delivers advanced critical care services directly to the patient, whether on the scene of an accident or in a small hospital. Operating 24 hours a day and seven days a week, Mercy Flight Central is dedicated to serving the communities of upstate New York and beyond.