The Invisible Bracelet is a card that goes on your key ring or child's backpack.

Grove Paramedics responding to a 911 medical emergency now have a new tool to assist patients in a life-threatening health crisis. invisibleBracelet.org (iB), a Web-based emergency health registry, was launched in April to more than 1.2 million Oklahomans living in Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Grove.

“Our service gives customers peace of mind that emergency responders can immediately access their vital health information at the scene of an accident or in an emergency,” said Noah Roberts, co-inventor of invisibleBracelet.org. “We also text message or email designated ‘In Case of Emergency’ (ICE) contacts should someone be taken by ambulance to the hospital.”

According to Roberts, iB is easy to use and is much like a medical ID bracelet. Customers go online to a secure Web site to provide information about their allergies, medications, insurance and chronic conditions. That information is held private until a licensed paramedic enters an IB personal identification number (PIN) to retrieve the patient’s vital health information.

“We hope that no one ever has to use our service. However, if they do, iB is designed to help everyone – children, parents, seniors, athletes, college students – by giving a medic access to their most pertinent medical information when they may not be able to provide it themselves.”

EMSA is the nation’s first urban medical responder to be trained on how to use the system, and Grove EMS is the first rural provider. Paramedics will begin looking for iB PINs on the back of an ID, in wallets, on backpacks, on key chains, in purses and in pockets.

“This is another example of Grove EMS being at the forefront of new developments, just as we were in the field administration of “clot buster” medication for heart attacks”, said Doug Cox M.D. Grove EMS medical director.

Local businesses like INTEGRIS Grove General Hospital, APSCO, and Arvest Bank are also providing iB as a voluntary health benefit to their employees.

iB’s goal is to be available in all Oklahoma counties with emergency responders by the end of the year. Membership is $5 per person with a $3 per year renewal fee. Group discounts are available. Customers can register at www.invisibleBracelet.org.
 
“We are happy to be the first rural emergency medical service to roll out this product ,” said Jeff Dozier , Grove EMS Director . “Having the medical information of our patients will definitely give us the extra minutes, and sometimes those extra minutes could be the difference between life and death."