Tony Karsnia
08-21-2010, 01:00 PM
On Wednesday, August 18th, the PCS Northland Chapter participated - by special invitation - in the open house celebration for the new HealthEast Medical Transportation facility in St. Paul, MN.
The brand-new 46,000 square foot facility was dedicated with a ribbon-cutting ceremny, tours, and buffet luncheon. Participating in the ribbon-cutting ceremony were St. Paul Mayor, Chris Coleman, Louis Jambois, President of the St. Paul Port Authority, Brad Anderson and Ann Schrader, System Director and Chief Operating Officer, respectively, for HealthEast.
This new facility is a "dream come true" for HealthEast, featuring indoor parking for the entire 23-ambulance fleet, 10 service bays for vehicle maintenance, EMS Academy simulation lab, state-of-the art education center and auditorium with seating for 150, Emergency Communication Center, and in-house administrative, accounting, and support services for the more than 50 vehicles (including Medi-Vans) that transport over 30,000 patients annually.
The HealthEast roots began 100 years ago, in 1910, with the Olsen Ambulance Service in Minneapolis. With the intention of honoring the history, the new HealthEast facility includes special lighted display cases for photos and memorabilia. I am currently assisting with expanding the collection of historic ambulance photos and information.
On display inside the new garage on Wednesday were Jon Wurm's 1972 C/B Oldsmobile 54" ambulance and our 1973 Superior Cadillac Crown Sovereign combination. This gave attendees a nice education of the "transition" from funeral home-based ambulance services into modern day EMS. Over 300 people toured the facility, enjoyed lunch, and learned more about the progression of EMS. At the conclusion of the day, Brad Anderson and Dave McGowan, HealthEast managers who worked in professional car-based ambulances, took Jon's Oldsmobile for a cruise, enjoying every minute of it!
Our thanks to HealthEast for inviting us to be a special part of this milestone celebration!
The brand-new 46,000 square foot facility was dedicated with a ribbon-cutting ceremny, tours, and buffet luncheon. Participating in the ribbon-cutting ceremony were St. Paul Mayor, Chris Coleman, Louis Jambois, President of the St. Paul Port Authority, Brad Anderson and Ann Schrader, System Director and Chief Operating Officer, respectively, for HealthEast.
This new facility is a "dream come true" for HealthEast, featuring indoor parking for the entire 23-ambulance fleet, 10 service bays for vehicle maintenance, EMS Academy simulation lab, state-of-the art education center and auditorium with seating for 150, Emergency Communication Center, and in-house administrative, accounting, and support services for the more than 50 vehicles (including Medi-Vans) that transport over 30,000 patients annually.
The HealthEast roots began 100 years ago, in 1910, with the Olsen Ambulance Service in Minneapolis. With the intention of honoring the history, the new HealthEast facility includes special lighted display cases for photos and memorabilia. I am currently assisting with expanding the collection of historic ambulance photos and information.
On display inside the new garage on Wednesday were Jon Wurm's 1972 C/B Oldsmobile 54" ambulance and our 1973 Superior Cadillac Crown Sovereign combination. This gave attendees a nice education of the "transition" from funeral home-based ambulance services into modern day EMS. Over 300 people toured the facility, enjoyed lunch, and learned more about the progression of EMS. At the conclusion of the day, Brad Anderson and Dave McGowan, HealthEast managers who worked in professional car-based ambulances, took Jon's Oldsmobile for a cruise, enjoying every minute of it!
Our thanks to HealthEast for inviting us to be a special part of this milestone celebration!