Rotary Notes - 3/9/22

 

This week: Nick

Next week – 3/16: Diane

 

This week: Diane (for Sadie)

Next week – 3/16: Diane (3/23 Rich Hoppe, 3/30 Tristam)

 

Sargent at Arms: 3/9 Will (for Jon) (3/16 KJ, 3/23 Will)

 

Speaker: 3/9 KJ (for Diane), 3/16 Tristam, 3/23 Diane (for KJ), 3/30 Staci

 

Rotary Minute:  INTERACT - Interact, the Rotary youth program, was launched by the RI Board of Directors in 1962. The first Interact club was established by the Rotary Club of Melbourne, Florida. Interact clubs provide opportunities for boys and girls of secondary school age to work together in a world fellowship of service and international understanding. The term, Interact, is derived from "inter" for international, and "act" for action. Every Interact club must be sponsored and supervised by a Rotary club and must plan annual projects of service to its school, community and in the world.
Today there are over 7,200 Interact clubs with more than 155,000 members in 88 countries. "Interactors" develop skills in leadership and attain practical experience in conducting service projects, thereby learning the satisfaction that comes from serving others. A major goal of Interact is to provide opportunities for young people to create greater understanding and goodwill with youth throughout the world.

Quote:   “Learn all you can about people in other parts of the world. Understanding how people in other countries live and work and play teaches us to respect them and promote peace everywhere.” – Carol Bellamy

 

Guests - Drew Hazelton - Chief of Operations Rescue Inc. 

 

Rotary Anniversaries: none

Birthdays:   none

Tenzin - Nordic is over; track is coming soon. College applications in – should hear soon; majoring in forestry (Paul Smith favorite). Ricky Davidson is a contact through BUHS for Interact. Prom in May. Afghan refugees now at BUHS – welcome signs are up in native language.

Sylvie – Nordic is over; intramural basketball season ended as well (came in last); track is starting – pole vaulting is her favorite; responses coming in from colleges as well, nervous, fingers crossed. Afghan family lives down the way and she hopes to meet them soon.

Diane: Trivia is on for Monday 3/14; charity is the Humane Society. Bethany volunteered to score.

Josh – The Rotary supported Afghan family is settled in to their apartment and can walk in to town. Anyone in the club is welcome participate with their family outings. Very hospitable family. Signs are up downtown to welcome the Afghan families. Shout out for Jim M - thanks for driving these new folks around.

Tristam:  Just got back from Illinois; his presentation is coming next week ($160K raised by rotary clubs). Support for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine are available through Rotary.

KJ: The BDCC is in need of someone to drive their van to transport Afghan refugees during the day. The schedule is as follows:

This is a PAID position! Please contact Jen Stromstren at 413-522-3773 or jstromsten@brattleborodevelopment.com

Josh: Sylvie & Tenzin for their art exhibit in town; there is a celebration of kids who won a national art competition. Happens every year. Katja – great work welcoming the Afghan family!

KJ – Trip to Santa Barbara this weekend to visit daughter Caitlin. A little chilly for CA in spring! Caitlin is organizing a symposium for biology undergrads at a local Pub: “pints with scientists”. Fun to watch the pub goers paying attention. Great trip!

Diane – Our son Josh has secured an internship this summer in Indiana and a Fall semester abroad in Paris.

Dan D: Took the Afghan family to a circus show this weekend. Kids are so sweet!

Cards: King of hearts ($32) – you lose losers!

Drew Hazelton - Chief of Ops Rescue Inc.

Call volumes, mental health issues had been pretty bad in VT over the past years - and THEN came the pandemic. There was a lot of stress on our system. On 3/18/20 everything closed down. Call volume was cut by more than half as no one went to hospital (or anywhere for that matter). The EMS structure changed overnight as they could no longer bring people to hospital due to covid. Rescue could provide care for calls in-home but there’s no revenue without transport. It was looking like they may have to start letting people go. Fortunately there was some state funding to keep things afloat. 

As the pandemic progressed, Rescue began transporting infected people needing isolation (2x a day “Ubering” homeless covid patients to Burlington). People were suspending health maintenance visits so they were getting sicker. Then the vaccines came out. EMS had their staff inoculated first then rolled vaccinations out to the VT population. 

VT identified its most vulnerable population (older and homebound) and Rescue responded. KJ assisted in rolling out the project. Created the infrastructure and then Townshend station become the base of operations. All willing homebound seniors in the area (beginning with over 75+) in Windham; then Windsor; then Bennington; then Orange County; all counties. Hard to organize but they made it happen. It was also good for Public Relations: people had been stuck in their homes for 12+ months and hadn’t seen anyone. Rescue providing a vaccine was the first outside social interaction for many homebound people. They were so excited to see us and get their lives back. 

All vehicles were on the road so they bought more vehicles and hired more people.  Bought a big trailer and constructed a vaccine clinic out of in the Rescue bay in advance. Then could travel to vaccinate prison guards in Newport, St J and Springfield; up to 100 doses an hour! 

Then they vaccinated VT teachers all the way up through Burlington. Now had up to 4 trailers on the road - and eventually took over for the National Guard in most of state. Essex County was last county Rescue serviced so now they have officially serviced all counties in VT. Rescue has put on over 250,000 road miles in VT during the pandemic. 

Unfortunately, our health system began getting even worse; hospitalizations were up; mental health still struggling. Monoclonal antibody infusions weren’t available at hospitals (due to being over capacity). Rescue to the rescue! Built out 2 more trailers and are providing infusions all over VT. “We do our best work in dark alleys and parking lots”.

At this point, vaccines available to everyone who wants them and treatments available.  The call volume is back up and hospitals staffing is struggling. Rescue has transported patients to 6 different states just to find patients a bed. Our local hospital doesn’t have many specialists so many patients need to be transported to another hospital. 

Rescue didn’t miss a single 911 call throughout the pandemic! 70,000 shots in arms through the pandemic. Saved every vial – they have a huge box of vials.

Searches/recoveries also increased. People finally getting outside and making poor decisions. 

Now Rescue has an integral role in VT public health. EMS has assisted with staffing hospital ICUs/ERs for 2 years now (e.g. infusions run by Rescue at hospitals). Rescue has provided care in 40 VT towns.

Short term: Rescue will still be working with covid response in VT (6-8 months). 

Long term: Financially stable right now - BUT hard to find staffing. Education programs were suspended during covid. Paramedics couldn’t train at hospitals. Now need to build up 2 lost years of workforce development.  

4 Way Test - Is it the truth, Is it fair to all concerned, Will it build good will and better friendships, Is it beneficial to all concerned.