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Health & Fitness

Vial of L.I.F.E. Can Save Lives

I want to ensure that all Marin County residents are aware of a vital program that can literally save your life: The Vial of L.I.F.E.

The Vial of L.I.F.E. (Lifesaving Information for Emergencies) program provides Emergency Medical Responders county-wide with potentially life-saving medical information in the event that a patient is injured or ill at home and is unable to communicate.  Our senior community has been particularly interested in this program, but it is important to know that it’s a critical resource to anyone who takes medication regularly or has a medical condition, regardless of age.

The Vial of L.I.F.E. consists of a small container that holds a document which contains the patient’s medical history, a list of their medications and other health information. The Vial is kept in the refrigerator at your home - a magnet alerting emergency responders is posted on your refrigerator door and a sticker noting that you are a participant in the program is also posted on or near your front door.  The Vial of L.I.F.E is used by paramedics to help identify and treat emergency medical issues.  You should update the information in your Vial whenever there is a change in health history or medication. The forms should be reviewed at least twice per year (a good reminder is to do it when you change the batteries in your smoke detectors).

As paramedic Michael McCarthy put it, “Many times in the field, we paramedics do not have patient information and have to treat patients that we know nothing about.  We are trained to perform in this environment and provide excellent care, but it sure is a relief when we see that Vial of L.I.F.E. sticker on the door and go to the refrigerator to find the Vial that holds the information we need, which may make the difference in a successful outcome.”

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The idea of doing Vial of L.I.F.E. in Marin came up in the fall of 2007, my first year as Supervisor, during a meeting I had with the two District 5 representatives to the Commission on Aging, Nancy Sangster and Patricia Lewis.  Nancy had seen an example of the Vial program in another community, and wanted to know if we could make it happen in Marin.

After some research, I brought their idea to the Marin Fire Chief’s Association, who quickly endorsed it, reached out to other fire agencies around the county, and then helped lead the effort to get it implemented.  A key piece of the program included training all first responders, firefighters and paramedics on use of the system.  This included ensuring that any use of a Vial is documented in a countywide database of pre-hospital medical records.

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My office coordinated obtaining the supplies to create the kits, and contacted Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health, who both generously came on board to provide the funding needed to get the program rolling in an excellent example of a public-private partnership.

By November of 2008, residents from across the county were able to visit any fire station and receive, free of charge, a Vial of L.I.F.E. kit.  Outreach has also been done to community organizations, and the Vials are a featured item at the annual Healthy Aging Symposium.  In Novato, Erin Rhoades of Novato Fire has delivered presentations to a variety of communities including Nova Ro, Marin Women’s Club, Los Robles Mobile Home Park and Hamilton Villas.

In 2009, a second supply of Vials was put together in response to demand, and in addition to the County, the Marin Fire Chief’s Association, Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, and all three of our local ambulance companies (American Medical Response, Norcal and St. Joseph’s) contributed financially to keep the program going.

Vial of L.I.F.E. is an important asset to our community, for residents of all ages.  Marin is consistent with the nationwide trend of medical emergencies representing the majority of calls responded to by Marin firefighters trained as paramedics.  Given that current estimates also indicate that one out of three Marin residents will be 65 or older by 2030, Vial of L.I.F.E. represents a proactive effort to help manage the growing demand on Marin’s emergency medical services.

More information on the program and how you can obtain a Vial of L.I.F.E kit, visit: http://www.xmrfire.org/mrn/community/vial_of_life.aspx or call (415) 507-2595.

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