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Hyde County AEMT Mike Caton speaks with NC Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey after the ceremony. Hannah Russ photo

NC Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey holds a Vial of Life kit. Hannah Russ photo

Hyde County AEMT Mike Caton; NC Senator Norman Sanderson; NC Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey; John Wilson, interim EMS director; and Kris Noble, county manager. Hannah Russ photo

Hyde County AEMT Mike Caton, left, with NC Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey after the ceremony. Hannah Russ photo

Swan Quarter Fire Chief Jeffrey Stotesberry speaks about his time at the fire department during the ceremony. Hannah Russ photo

NC Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey visited the Lake Comfort Substation in Swan Quarter on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 for a ceremony recognizing Hyde County Emergency Medical Services for their adoption of the Vial of Life Program.

Mike Caton, an advanced EMT with Hyde County EMS, found out about the nationwide program in 2023 and, with assistance from Sue Anne Pilgreen, manager of the Eastern Carolina Injury Prevention Program at East Carolina University (ECU) Health Medical Center, secured funding to bring the program to Hyde County. Pilgreen secured the funding and ordered the supplies for the kits and Caton assembled the kits and distributed them throughout the county.

The Vial of Life program is essentially a plastic Ziploc bag with two stickers, one to stick on the bag and one to stick on the participant’s front door to alert EMTs to look for it when entering the home. The bag includes a form that participants fill out with their medical history, list of medications, demographics and doctor/emergency contact information.

“I already know that it’s saved thousands of lives across the nation and to see Hyde County EMS take the lead and get the ball rolling for the rural areas that have to travel so far to the hospital, this is definitely a life-saving measure,” said Causey. “I’d like to see it in all of our rural areas across the state and I believe that we can help at the Department of Insurance by promoting this and we’ll certainly do our part to let other counties know what’s going on in Hyde County.

“It might seem like a simple thing, it’s just a piece of paper, but it’s a life-saving piece of paper.”

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