How Do You Count and Analyze Numbers?

Installment 1 of Perspectives

by Joe Moore

Let’s pretend that you have no knowledge about any agencies' budgets, and you decide that you are going to analyze and determine the value of the services provided by these agencies.  Whatever the agency, there should be specific number facts that you need to determine.  How do you go about looking at these numbers without having a bias in your interpretation?  Perhaps, you might figure out how different individuals with different points of view might view the data.  Once you have determined these different viewpoints, it should be easy to interpret the data, right?

Let’s take some numbers and decide how to interpret them.  You have six numbers.  They are:  0, 250, 800, 1200, 6000, and 28000.  How might we look at these numbers to get a summary about what they represent?  We could find a simple average, 6041.  Does that summarize it enough for you?  If yes, then you could say that the average is 6041.  If average doesn’t quite work for you, you could find the median, which would be 1000.  Does that summarize the numbers for you?  Unfortunately, there is no mode, so that can’t help you.  The standard deviation is 10983.  Does that summarize the numbers without any bias?

What if these numbers were the numbers related to the payment of damages for your house?  Does the 0 payment represent the numbers, which in this case would mean that the insurance company paid nothing for the damage?  Or does the 28000 represent the numbers, which in this case would mean that the insurance company paid $28,000 for the damage?  Doesn’t it make a difference how much damage is done to your house?  What if the damage was $40,000, does this number mean something then?  What is the likelihood that these two situations have more variables than just the numbers given?  Could you use any of these numbers to describe how much an insurance company should pay for the $40,000 of damage to your home?  Let’s say that one company’s insurance policy would pay nothing, another would pay $250, another $800, another $1200, another $6000, another $28000.  Would it make sense that these insurance policies are different?  Would the time from damage to the receipt of payment also make a difference in what the numbers represent?  Would you think, if you were the property owner, that using the standard deviation number of 10983 would be appropriate and that you should receive that amount for the damages?

The person receiving nothing would think that the standard of deviation is better than his payment.  The one receiving $28.000 would think that he is being cheated if all he got was the standard of deviation amount of 10983.  You could also guess that the first six people, ones getting anything below the stardard of deviation would be happy to get that amount, and therefore this is the way it should be taken because the majority would get more from the insurance company than what they expected to get based upon the policy.  It appears that five out of six or 83% would be happy, and only 17% would be unhappy.  Majority rules, right?

Or, would the people getting the standard of deviation amount be upset when the other person got paid $28000 because they only got $10983, and he got more than twice what they got?  Someone could argue that if your insurance policy only promised $0 to $6000, and you got $10983, so you should be happy, and you should be happy that your neighbor got more due to his insurance plan.

Or, would the person not getting anything from the insurance company be mad since his insurance policy wouldn’t pay anything?  What do you mean the insurance company wouldn’t pay anything, you ask? 

Let’s add another piece to this puzzle to make it clearer.  The damage was done by a flood.  The first person did not have flood insurance.  The next four had limitations on the payment caused by a flood.  The last person had fairly good flood insurance with a maximum of $28,000.  Does it matter what the insurance policy provides?  Do you think that the amount paid for the insurance policies might differ?  Should it have or does that have a bearing on the payment for the damages?

Person number one has no flood insurance, so pays nothing.  Person number two pays $10 for the flood insurance, and three, four, and five have to pay $20, $30, and $50 for the insurance.  The last person pays five times as much or $250 for the flood insurance.  Does this begin to make sense?  The person that pays the highest for the insurance will get the best benefit from the insurance, the others would not get the same benefits based upon what they pay for their insurance.  Would it also matter whether someone lived in a flood plain or not?  Would geography matter or whether these houses were on top of a hill or not?  Would the general climate of the area also matter?

Can you see that different situations make a significant amount of difference?  What is fair for one, might not seem fair for a majority even with different situations.  Who is right?  Who is wrong?  Doesn’t that depend upon your point of view and your own personal situation?  If the money was coming out of your pocket, would that also make a difference?  Would it also matter if you are dealing with your local insurance office or a national and huge corporation?

First of all, I believe you have to have all the facts before you are in a position to make a judgment about most topics.  Once the facts are out, then you need to examine your own point of view and your own perspective related to the topic.  To be fair, you should also examine the other possible points of view and consider other perspectives.  If you are unable to do this yourself, you should sit and listen, truly listen, to someone with a different point of view and look for other points of view and other perspectives.  There is not just one perspective that is right, and there is not one point of view that is correct.  Your decision will be based upon your experiences, your point of view, and your perspective based upon the other two.  And, to be honest, you should recognize that your position will change over time based upon your experiences.

Public Safety on Beaver Island

by Joe Moore

The Beaver Island Fire Department (BIFD) and the Beaver Island Emergency Medical Service (BIEMS) are both supported by millage paid by taxpayers at exactly the same millage rate.  Beginning this year, both agencies get approximately $110,000-$115,000 per year for operations.  The BIFD responds to six to ten calls for service (6-10) per year, and BIEMS also responds to all fire calls for service.  BIEMS responds to 60-100 calls for service per year, and flies approximately twenty to forty of these patients off the island for needed definitive care.

The BIFD has two stations with multiple vehicles as well as two meeting locations and one residence area at the East Side Fire Station.  The first station in town has four storage bays and the hall down the East Side has at least three bays.  BIEMS contributes $4000 per year to help make payments for the East Side Fire Hall.  A Firefighter I and Firefighter II training program takes just under 300 hours of instruction, and the fire department has put on this training getting several trained to this level.

The BIEMS has one station with one garage stall in the Governmental Center.  BIEMS pays rent for three rooms in the building called the Governmental Center; one for supply storage, one for a business office, and one for ready room for writing patient reports.  BIEMS keeps two vehicles outside during most of the year, one a second back-up ambulance put in storage for the winter.  It has been stored in one of the fire stations for the winter months, but is available, if needed.  The third vehicle is an emergency response vehicle usually driven direct to the scene of an emergency medical situation by the paramedic on-call.  The primary ambulance is kept in the garage at the Governmental Center.  A paramedic program has been taught on the island three times in the last fifteen years.  The paramedic program takes 1200 hours of instruction including lecture/discussion, practical, and clinical as well as an internship on the mainland.  The EMT program takes around 200 hours with a minimum of 32 clinical hours on the mainland.  Like the fire department, several who were trained by BIEMS have left the island or have stopped participating.

Recently, the Beaver Island Emergency Services Authority (BIESA) was put into place after remaining dormant for many, many years.  The BIESA was originally put in place for one purpose only, the purpose of getting financing for the East Side Fire Hall.  In the present, the BIESA is staffing its board with five individuals and is using a lawyer to get needed documents in place.  Up to this date, the BIESA has been in reactionary mode, being made to deal with personnel issues related to a possible termination and then to the resignation of one board member, as well as a ruling regarding the status of “employees versus paid volunteers.” 

While all this is going on, a philosophical disagreement has transpired between the manager, board, and provider at the BIRHC and the local BIEMS.   Currently, BIEMS is locked out of the BIRHC.  The previously established BIRHC policy, signed by Dr. Newcomb, allowing BIEMS to use the rural health center has been thrown out.  On top of this, BIEMS had a surprise inspection and is still resolving issues with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, EMS and Trauma Division.  Everyone involved is still in reactionary mode.  BIEMS is busy attempting to re-qualify for the advances made in the last thirty years. 

The BIESA needs to get past this reactionary mode, and move to resolve the paperwork, the policies, the important issues, and the relationship between the public service agencies on Beaver Island.

After more than twenty years of existence, BIEMS has licensed a local aircraft for the purpose of flying emergency patients off the island to get them to the hospital.  Now, even that accomplishment is being questioned and attacked.  When did emergent transport become unnecessary for emergency patients?  It seems that all things accomplished in public safety in the last thirty years are being questioned and being attacked by some. 

When did this type of behavior become acceptable?  When did the experts in specifics areas of public safety become idiots with no input into decisions?  Do we want to go backwards twenty-five years, abolish the advancements, and demolish the systems that took twenty-five years to build?  When did some decide to ignore the systems put in place and go out on their own, ignoring the processes and the rules of operation put in place over these last thirty years?

The answers to these questions have to be determined, and the squabbling, nit-picking, and destructive behaviors have to stop for the good of the entire island.  After all, it’s only November, and not February.  If it’s this bad now, how bad will it be in the middle of the winter?

 

Holly Daze is Back and Bigger Than Ever
This year’s holiday giving tradition promises to make the season “Merry & Bright.”

Friday, December 11th is just around the corner and seats are filling up for Holly Daze, Charlevoix Area Hospital’s annual holiday fundraiser, held at Castle Farms in Charlevoix.

Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit the Hospital’s upcoming Surgical Suite and Laboratory Renovation. The project will be adding a third operating room, seven new patient rooms for pre-operative and post-operative needs, and an overhaul of the entire surgery and laboratory units to better accommodate the rapid growth in outpatient procedures. This important project will meet the growing needs of our communities, and is part of our continual effort to provide high-quality, compassionate care close to home.

This year’s auction will boast a number of fantastic items generously donated by local businesses and community members.  Sports fans will have their pick of college and professional game tickets, and limited edition memorabilia, including a faceoff between MSU and U of M football helmets signed by Mark Dantonio and Desmond Howard - sports fans know which is which!

Guests will be able to stock up on gift certificates or win a private party from your favorite restaurants. New this year will be a “Love Local” section filled with original pieces from local artists and craftsmen.

Want to get out of town? There will be accommodations and packages galore – including exotic trips to Mexico and South Africa. There will be a chance to win a set of Disney Hopper tickets, a personal fireworks display, a one-of-a-kind tour to the top of the Mackinaw Bridge…and that’s just a preview.

Kick off the holiday season and get in the spirit of giving!Space is limited; please contact Faye Parrish at 231-547-8501 or go to www.cah.org/hollydaze to purchase your tickets. Tickets are $100 per person, a portion of which is tax deductible.

Charlevoix Area Hospital Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to raise and manage funds to benefit Charlevoix Area Hospital. For more information about the Charlevoix Area Hospital and Foundation please visit www.cah.org.

What's Up with a Former Beaver Island Deputy?

Alan Muma was a Beaver Island Deputy many years ago. Alan was the one that lobbied and worked to get a Beaver Island Rescue Boat. Alan was also living in the DNR building, but it was much, much different back then. Joe Moore was his auxiliary officer back then, and there were many exciting adventures with and without that rescue boat. Those in public safety are always working to improve response to emergencies. Alan Muma was not an exception to this rule.

Do you ever wonder what your former residents and friends are doing now? By the magic of technology and social media, this is possible nowdays.

Christmas Bazaar 2015

The Christmas Bazaar is an opportunity for homemade and handmade items to be sold to the island people. Perhaps, even more special is the opportunity to help the Beaver Island Food Pantry by giving a free will offering for the excellent soups made by the community members. There were lots of kinds of soups. They were all delicious!

View Video of the Bazaar HERE

Opening Day Rifle Deer Season 2015

Today is the Christmas Bazaar at the Gregg Fellowship Center at 11 a.m.!

The sun came up with another beautiful sunrise here on Beaver Island for this Opening Day. Several hunters were heard moving around in the woods this morning with lots of early morning traffic. This is a different weather than most other deer season openings. The temperature today is supposed to break fifty this afternoon. That temperature does not provide any tracking snow for the hunters, but it does make for another beautiful day on the Beaver Island Golf Course for a couple of non-hunters. Whether they hunt or not, they certainly wish those who do hunt an abundant harvest success!

There have been many other activities that have taken place on the island on Opening Day of Deer Season in the last fory years. Memories of individual disasters flood the neurons, but the most frustrating was not necessarily Opening Day, but involved some hunters on Garden Island. Waiting to get a Coast Guard helicopter to pick us up at the Township Airport due to a hunting accident on Garden Island strikes as one one of the more difficult ones. Unfortunately, the hunter died before anyone could get there to help. The frustration comes from sitting at the Township Airport with no way to get to Garden Island, and then watching the helicopter fly over the airport without stopping.

Another memory is of a lost child down the West Side Road with worries of the child wandering into an area with a less than observant hunter. Luckily, the child was found before anything disastrous occurred. That relieved mother's face will always be part of the historical memory of Opening Day. Another thought is of the fight in the bar between two groups of hunters while a deputy sheriff and his auxiliary officer tried to referee in the melee. There was no way to fly off any who might be arrested (if this happened on the mainland), so the next best thing to ending the issue was to calm the two factions down, offer several solutions to the issue, and find one that was acceptable to both sides. There was a lot of earned respect for that deputy by all involved when both groups shook hands and had another drink to the solution that neither group had thought about.

Whatever you are doing on the Opening Day of Rifle Deer Season 2015, please be safe! Here's to your success in whatever you are doing! And, if you are not sitting in the woods between 11 and 2, check out the Christmas Bazaar!

Beaver Island Book Club

BIRHC Has Power Issues

Update on Saturday, November 14, 2015, at 9 a.m.: For the first time in a few days, the generator at the BIRHC has shut down. A repair technician is here working to resolve the issues with the transfer switch.

While you will not have issues with services provided by the BIRHC, the physical plant of the BIRHC building has some issues. For the last three days, the power provided to the entire BIRHC building has been provided by the propane powered generator sitting at the south end of the building. On Tuesday, neighbors noticed the that the generator was running, which is unusual. The usual test day for the generator is on Thursday, when it comes on for the purpose of testing the system. The generator began running on Tuesday and simply did not shut off. Neighbors reported that the generator sounded like it was trying to shut off, but then it would rev up with a surge like the start-up surge, and just continue running.

The BIRHC had the generator shut down on Wednesday afternoon, and there were power outages at the rural health center on Wednesday night. On Thursday, the generator was back up and running. The generator ran all night, and, now, on Friday morning, the generator continues to run. There are obviously some issues with the switch between Great Lakes Power and the generator power that need to be resolved.

The neighbors have noted, not only the loud sounds of the generator running, but also the two trips of the propane truck to fill the propane tank to keep the generator running. While there is a pipe that goes from the propane tank on the East Side Road to the BIRHC, it was not used in the installation of the generator apparently. So, for the next day or so, the BIRHC will be operating on the propane generator electrical power.

 

Fundraising Dinner

A reminder that the Beaver Island Veterans Project is holding a Pasta Dinner Fundraiser at Peaine Township Hall on Beaver Island, November 28th from 5-7 PM. Freewill donations for the dinner will be accepted at the door. We welcome all local vets to attend, and invite them to 'show their colors' by wearing their AMVETS shirt, red Marine tees, or other clothing to show their unit affiliation. If you'd like to contribute a dish to pass or volunteer to help serve at the dinner, contact Jean Kinsley at 231-448-2856 or Dickie McEvoy at 231-448-2799 .

Proceeds from our Pasta Dinner Fundraiser will support BIVP's first Veterans Retreat June 11-12 2016, when we'll host disabled Vietnam veteran Wesley Spyke and his wife Lillian for a couple days of Beaver Island rest and relaxation. At a Sunday brunch in Peaine Township Hall that weekend, the community will have a chance to meet the Spykes and hear about the important work they do supporting veteran needs in the Muskegon area.

The Beaver Island Veterans Project was founded in October 2015 to serve local veterans needs in connection with the larger veteran community. BIVP is affiliated with Friends of Beaver Island Veterans, an auxiliary of local AMVETS Post #46.

Please join us on November 28th for delicious home-made food in the company of our local vets, and thanks for all your support!

Time to Definitive Care

by Joe Moore

There are those in our community that don't believe that our EMS team are educated and know what they are doing, and EMS people certainly don't know what they are talking about. There are those that would like to degrade our local EMS people for whatever reason. . If you consider comments like, "All they want to do is make money," "They don't know what they are doing," They don't have the education.." If you consider these comments true, then read some research provided below, and then look in any textbook on emergency care. As a demonstration, below are a few statemetns made in a few research related searches for the public to consider.

(From the Annals of Surgery)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1357175/
“The fundamental tenet of a trauma system is to get the right patient to the right hospital at the right time. This hinges on well-defined prehospital destination criteria, interfacility transfer protocols, and education of caregivers. Patients arriving at local community hospitals (LOCs) benefit from stabilization and transfer to trauma centers (TCs) for definitive care. However, in the absence of a formalized trauma system, patients may not reach the TC in a timely fashion and may not be appropriately treated or stabilized at LOCs prior to transfer.”
“Thus, trauma system planning efforts should focus on 1) prehospital destination protocols that allow direct transport to the TC; and 2) education of caregivers in LOCs to enhance intervention skill sets and expedite transfer to definitive care.”

(From JEMS Magazine)
http://www.jems.com/articles/2008/08/golden-hour.html
“‘60 Precious Minutes’
The “Golden Hour” was first described by R Adams Cowley, MD, at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.1 From his personal experiences and observations in post-World War II Europe, and then in Baltimore in the 1960s, Dr. Cowley recognized that the sooner trauma patients reached definitive care—particularly if they arrived within 60 minutes of being injured—the better their chance of survival.”

http://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/clinical-updates/trauma/diagnostic-studies-delay-transfer-to-definitive-care
“In emergency medicine, time is life, and most emergency departments meet or exceed the time-to-treatment benchmarks for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and acute stroke. But much less attention is given to the rapid triage and transfer of trauma patients, for whom time is just as critical.”

http://www.annemergmed.com/article/S0196-0644%2810%2901353-3/fulltext
“Sometimes old dogmas help save lives, allowing people with diverse levels of knowledge to grasp a simple concept. The golden hour of trauma is a classic example of this, and, as imperfect as it is, the concept of timely care must survive; no need to reset your clocks.”

(World Health Organization)
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/91/5/12-112664/en/
“The term acute care encompasses a range of clinical health-care functions, including emergency medicine, trauma care, pre-hospital emergency care, acute care surgery, critical care, urgent care and short-term inpatient stabilization.”

(Australian Journal of Rural Health)
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ajr.12160/abstract
“However, the duration for transfer of patients is suboptimal because of the lack of established pathways for urgent non-trauma transfer from rural centres..”
(Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services)

http://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/chronic/tcdsystem/

“Minutes make a difference

Severe injury requires timely definitive care for the best outcomes for survival and recovery. Likewise, stroke and STEMI heart attack victims who receive treatment within specific time frames from the time their symptoms begin are more likely to recover and less likely to have permanent disabilities. Currently, only a small percentage of stroke patients and less than half of heart attack patients in Missouri get help within the recommended amount of time.”

http://www.emsworld.com/article/11434069/critical-decisions-in-time-sensitive-emergencies
“Chris Granger, MD, chair of the AHA Mission: Lifeline project, recommends that if you can get a prehospital patient from first medical contact to balloon (E2B) within 90 minutes.”
“a joint effort is required to streamline times from first medical contact to balloon.”

http://www.emsworld.com/article/11434069/critical-decisions-in-time-sensitive-emergencies
“Each year nearly 800,000 U.S. citizens experience stroke, and the vast majority do not receive medical attention in time for early fibrinolytics to be considered.”
“Time is brain when a patient is a potential candidate for fibronlytics; for every minute delay that occurs prior to tPA administration for ischemic stroke, up to two million neurons die.”

(Position Paper of the National Association of EMS Physicians)
http://www.naemsp.org/Documents/Position%20Papers/POSITION%20Considerations%20in%20Establishing%20EMS%20Response%20Time%20Goals.pdf
“This stems from their need for specialized definitive care in a time-limited fashion. For example, patients with myocardial injury or patients experiencing critical trauma demand complex interventions by the health care system. Trauma patients require response intervals targeted toward delivering the patient to definitive trauma care to prevent mortality and morbidity from shock. Patients experiencing myocardial injury require rapid reperfusion. These interventions can be expedited by a timely EMS response”

So, the next time you want to make a comment about why our EMS wants to use the most timely and efficient method of getting a patient to definitive care, perhaps you could quote some of these accepted experts' opinions.

A wise man once said, "You can tell the truthfulness of your friendship by what your friend says behind your back."

BICS 2015-16 Basketball Schedule

32 Miles of Water

A Documentary by Philip Michael Moore

As appropriate today as it was then!

 

Medical First Responder and EMT Program to Begin Soon

Beaver Island Emergency Medical Service will be sponsoring an MFR program this winter with a continuation to Basic Emergency Medical Technician.  The exact dates of start and end will be determined after renewal of the BIEMS education sponsorship. 
It is essential for interested persons to contact Kevin White, BIEMS Director, so that the program materials can be ordered, such as textbooks, workbooks, and supplies.
The EMT program will take approximately 200 hours of class time, which includes lecture/discussion and practical skills as well as a minimum of 32 hours of clinical time split between a hospital and an EMS service on the mainland.  The MFR program will take approximately half the number of hours of class time, and no required clinical time.
If you are interested in either or both, please contact Kevin White by phone at 231-448-2578 or by email at beaverislandems@gmail.com. 
More specifics will be available in the near future.

Ten BICS Students Certified in CPR

In a partnership between the Beaver Island Community School, Beaver Island EMS, and the Health Occupations program at the school, two classes took place. One class was on Thursday, and another one was on Friday. These students are in the Health Occupation's program at Beaver Island Community School and are part of the Health Occupations Students of America.

The instructor of the BICS HOSA program is Kathie Ehinger, a BIEMS paramedic. The American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers instructor is Joe Moore, also a BIEMS paramedic. Both days included a full course. Joe Moore said, "All of these students were required to be participating in the rather rigorous program that required a lot of hands-on training. They were required to be tested on one person and two person Adult Basic Life Support as well as one person and two person Infant CPR and care for choking victims of all ages. The also had to take a written exam at the end."

There will also be another BLS full course and a recertification course for students and adults working at the school. These programs will require the assistance of another CPR instructor, Gerald LaFreniere.

Beaver Island Friends of the Veterans

Events Scheduled

LUNCH WITH SANTA!

Lunch with Santa will be held for all children on the Island and their parents and/or grandparents on Saturday, December 12, 2015 - 11:00-1:00 at the Gregg Fellowship Hall.  Hotdogs, chips, beverage, ice cream and cookies will be provided by the BIFOV.  Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive around 12:00 Noon.  Bring your children and grandchildren so they can give Santa their Christmas wish list.


SANTA'S WORKSHOP

Beaver Island Friends of Veterans will again hold a SANTA'S WORKSHOP on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 at Beaver Island Community School Gym, where the children will be able to purchase inexpensive ($1)items for their siblings, parents, grandparents and other family members and friends.  The Friends of Veterans and AMVETS will be available to help the young ones wrap their gifts.  Bring a camera to get a picture of you child with Santa.


Thanks.  HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON! 

Events Coming to Gregg Fellowship Center and the Christian Church

The Annual Thanksgiving Dinner will be on November 26, 2015 at 6:00PM  at the Gregg Fellowship Center  If possible bring a dish to pass or a dessert to share.  We furnish Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy also punch and coffee or tea

The Annual Christmas Cantata at the Beaver Island Christian Church wil be on December 5 & 6, 2015, at 2:00PM.

The Annual Cookie Carnival at the Gregg Fellowship Center will start at NOON and go until 4:00pm on Thursday, December 10, 2015.  This year, anyone wanting Nutmeg Logs and/or Party Cookies are asked to pre-order.  You can call Jean Carpenter at 448-2893 to pre-order. 

Donate to the Food Pantry