NEW WINDSOR, N.Y. (May 10, 2019) — On Monday, May 20, 2019, Orange Regional Medical Center and the Orange County Department of Emergency Services will host a Code Green Campaign event. Emergency medical service (EMS) providers from all over the Hudson Valley, as well as employees, instructors and EMT trainees from Mobile Life Support Services will participate in the two-hour event that will provide EMS professionals with educational tools and resources to better gauge their own mental health.
The Code Green Campaign is a first responder-oriented mental health advocacy and education organization. Also known as Code Green, the organization serves first responders, including firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, dispatchers, police officers, corrections officers, air medical personnel and search and rescue. The name itself is a combination of the color for mental health awareness (green) and the code alerts that EMS uses to designate an emergency patient.
Founded in 2014, Code Green’s primary goal is to raise awareness of the high rates of mental health issues that affect first responders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, substance abuse and suicide. Additionally, the organization aims to provide education for first responders on multiple mental health related topics and equip them with the tools for reducing stress, improving resilience and how to access mental health care.
“Mental health is important 24/7/365 – not just during the month of May,” said Scott Woebse, President and CEO of Mobile Life Support Services. “Exposure to tragedy is part of the job. The Code Green Campaign brings awareness to this issue and strives to eliminate the stigma of seeking and receiving the help they need to continue contributing to the health and wellbeing of others. We want to make sure our employees and fellow EMS providers know that they are supported.”
In addition to the company’s participation in and promotion of the upcoming Code Green event, Mobile Life has revamped its curriculum and class schedule to include an increased number of mental health courses to raise awareness of this very important issue that is only just coming to light, and to reinforce the Code Green initiative by preparing providers for the mental and emotional challenges that are associated with their line of work.
“As EMS providers, we spend our time tending to the needs of our patients,” added Chad Burkhart, Mobile Life Manager of Education. “Little attention has been paid to our own needs and to taking care of ourselves. We owe it to ourselves, our families and our patients to ensure that we recognize the signs of acute and cumulative stress. We need support structures within the EMS community to create and foster a culture of safety, including mental health safety. Many of our current and future educational endeavors strive to build that foundation.”
To register for the Code Green Campaign presentation, please visit www.ormc.org/rsvp or call 1-888-321-6762. RSVP is required. To learn more about Mobile Life and its course schedule, visit the company’s website at www.mobilelife.com.
About Mobile Life Support Services, Inc.
Mobile Life Support Services, Inc. is a New York State Certified Advanced Life Support paramedic ambulance company that provides emergency services to communities and healthcare facilities throughout the Hudson Valley Region of New York State, including the counties of Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, Ulster, and Westchester. Founded in 1981 by Rick and Gayle Metzger, Mobile Life is the largest emergency service provider in the Hudson Valley, second only to the NYS Police, and is composed of more than 500 EMS professionals across the region and operates a fleet of more than 60 ambulances and 26 stations. With a collective population of more than 1,000,000 residents, Mobile Life handles approximately 100,000 calls per year. For more information, visit www.mobilelife.com.
