Dr. Jobe stresses the importance of RiverCom

RiverCom is a critical part of the infrastructure of our communities, and I am asking that you join me in renewing the RiverCom 911 Emergency Communication Systems and Facilities Tax. No matter the emergency, the staff at RiverCom quickly determine the nature of the call and then rapidly dispatch the appreciate resources. As the medical director for EMS in Chelan and Douglas Counties, I am intimately familiar with the key role that RiverCom plays in taking care of people with medical emergencies.

Nearly 10 years ago, we began a systematic effort throughout our emergency medical service partners to make improvements in each of the links of the ‘‘chain of survival’’ to save more lives from sudden cardiac death. RiverCom has played a key role in that effort. We instituted a process change that focuses on early initiation of CPR anytime the call-takers determine the victim is not conscious and not breathing normally.

Ten years ago, this was a controversial practice, but one back by peer reviewed, scientific studies. Now, it has become the standard that dispatch centers are striving to achieve. In cardiac arrest, seconds make the difference between life and death. These process improvements are an integral part of why, in Chelan and Douglas Counties, we have one of the highest survival rates from cardiac arrest in the country.

This tax was initially approved in 2009 and we must renew it before it expires at the end of the year. This is not a new tax or a tax increase, but a vital tax required for RiverCom to continue to provide quality service. This is a sales tax of 1/10 of 1%, or one dime for every $100 spent, paid for by the citizens as well as visitors who might experience some type of emergency. So please join me in voting top support the RiverCom 911 Tax when your ballot arrives.

Lance W. Jobe, MD, FACEP
Wenatchee Emergency
Physicians
Medical Program Director,
Emergency Medical Services

About Dr. Lance Jobe, MD
Dr. Lance Jobe is an emergency medicine physician in Wenatchee, Washington and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Cascade Medical Center-Leavenworth and Confluence Health-Central Washington Hospital. He received his medical degree from University of Washington School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years.