A Medford Township resident and ER physician has received a heroism award from the Cherry Hill Police Department,, along with a previous citation from Cooper University Hospital earlier in the fall.
After working a shift at the emergency department at Cooper on June 21, Dr. Gerard Carroll, was driving home to Medford and talking on the phone to his wife when he saw an incident in the area of Route 70 and Grove Street in Cherry Hill that drew his attention.
The scene was a dangerous one involving a man with a knife who had caused himself what turned out to be life-threatening injuries. Cherry Hill police officers Christine Towne and Jordan Hutnik were trying to help the man when Carroll turned his car around and joined them at the scene along with the township fire department and EMS.
Carroll described his response, noting there were others that night to help the man.
“I jumped into the ambulance and, with EMS, assessed the wound, protected his airway, and controlled bleeding while police officers prevented the patient from harming himself further.” he recalled. “I left my car on scene and we transported him to Cooper University trauma for surgical evaluation. The patient went emergently to the operating room and did well.”
The heroism award presented by the Cherry Hill police union recognizes officers and members of the community whose actions save a life. Carroll spoke about receiving the award from the police and Cooper and what he has taken away from the experience.
“It is a great honor, and I am incredibly grateful to be recognized,” he said. “I was exceedingly impressed with the provider’s care that day and was pleased I could contribute.”
Before becoming a doctor, Carroll worked for many years as a paramedic and is certified as both an emergency physician and emergency medical services physician. Carroll is also the medical director for local EMS emergencies in Camden, Gloucester and Burlington counties, such as the Cherry Hill Fire Department, Maple Shade First Aid Squad and Palmyra Ambulance Association. He lives with his wife and son and is the merit badge counselor for Medford’s Boy Scout Troop 202.
Carroll also discussed the importance of paying it forward to help others and encourages others to learn steps so that they can act when needed.
“Emergency care is incredibly important to our communities,” he explained. “EMS, fire and law enforcement are a critical part of our safety net, and should not be overlooked when investing community resources and funding.
“I would also love to see more people learning basic first aid,” Carroll added, “CPR and bleeding control. So many outcomes can be affected positively by simple early interventions if people are trained, and not afraid to act.”
Emily Finan Carroll, who was on the phone with her husband at the time he came on the scene, spoke about how proud she is of her husband and what she hopes for the future.
“It’s nice to know there are good people in the world willing to jump in and help out in any situation,” she noted. “By learning and reading about situations like this one, I hope others will take away a sense of how crucial it is to support our health-care workers.”
