TIP salutes Brad Isaac

TIP volunteer Sharon Biswell (left) presents Brendan Isaac, Nicole Boragno and Jacob Isaac with award certificates and a photo album saluting their late father Brad Isaac, a Community Regional charge nurse, as an on-scene hero.

Brad Isaac’s impact on local trauma patients is far from forgotten.

Isaac, a former charge nurse in the Community Regional Medical Center emergency department, was posthumously honored at Fresno’s Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) “Salute to On-Scene Heroes” fundraising dinner Oct. 12 at TorNino’s Banquet Hall.

Fresno’s TIP chapter is part of a national non-profit organization in which citizen volunteers provide support to emotionally traumatized citizens immediately after tragedy strikes.
 
The 46-year-old Isaac died in a multi-car accident May 12 on Highway 99 in Chowchilla. Two others were killed as well in the 6:40 p.m. crash. His wife, Terri Isaac, a nurse at another hospital, survived the accident and is still recovering. She attended the banquet with several family members and friends.

Brad Isaac worked more than 20 years for Community Medical Centers, starting as a security guard at the downtown hospital and then moving to unit clerk. After completing nursing school, he worked his way up through the University Medical Center trauma and emergency department and moved with the staff in April when acute-care services transferred to Community Regional.

Brad Isaac

“When our volunteers were on scene at UMC, Brad was always very supportive and very helpful to our volunteers,” said TIP volunteer Sharon Biswell, a former crisis team manager for the organization. “If he saw us walk in, he would take us to the family, introduce us, then take us to the patient. If we had requests from the family that we didn’t know how to accommodate, he would make it possible.”

Hospital personnel, police officers, firefighters and paramedics call for TIP volunteer assistance on a 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year basis. Volunteers aim to respond within 20 minutes to assist family members following natural or unexpected deaths, victims of crime, disoriented or lonely older persons, victims of vehicle accidents, family members after a suicide and anyone emotionally traumatized by a crisis.

TIP looks for volunteers of all ages and occupations who have a desire to help others. No special background is necessary to become a volunteer. Volunteers go through a training academy to learn how to provide emotional support in crisis situations.

From left to right: TIP volunteers Judy Holm and Sharon Biswell with Brad Isaac's son Brendan, daughter Nicole and son Jacob.

“Brad also was supportive of our program during our training academies,” Biswell said. He would come to the academy, meet the new volunteers and talk about the trauma department atmosphere and help us understand how we can help with the families. I was always glad to see him when I walked in the door as a TIP volunteer.”

The next volunteer training academy begins Nov. 8.

Other on-scene heroes selected were Capt. Mike Bowman (Cal Fire), Battalion Chief Jon Brothers (Cal Fire), paramedic William Bentley (American Ambulance), Battalion Chief Tony Escobedo (Fresno City Fire) and Tiffany Jones and Mark Warner (Good Samaritan Award).

This story was reported by Eddie Hughes. He can be reached at eddieh@communitymedical.org.

Friday, October 19, 2007