Harrisburg , PA – The Wolf Administration visited several locations across Pennsylvania as part of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week and thanked the commonwealth’s EMS providers for their role in keeping Pennsylvanians healthy and safe.
“When Pennsylvanians find themselves facing an emergency or life-threatening health situation, EMS providers are often the first people to help,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “That’s why their training and leadership are crucial assets in our healthcare system. They are a critical component to our health, and for that, we want to express our gratitude.”
The Pennsylvania Department of Health is the lead agency for emergency medical services in the state. The department’s Bureau of Emergency Medical Services is responsible for developing and coordinating a comprehensive statewide system to reduce premature death and disability.
EMS agencies play a critical role in the opioid epidemic by getting those suffering from substance use disorders into treatment. EMS providers are a key step in the warm handoff process by working quickly to get patients to the hospital so they can get the help they need.
Health officials toured Susquehanna Regional EMS’s new level II trauma bays in Williamsport; visited EmergyCare in Erie; and took an up-close look at the Lehigh Valley Health Network’s air medical helicopter bay in Hazleton. At each location, they listened to EMS leaders discuss the challenges and successes of operating EMS agencies.
EMS agencies face a number of obstacles, including finding ways for all emergency services to incorporate new technology to save lives, such as broadband internet access. The Wolf Administration has proposed a bipartisan Restore Pennsylvania program to help rural areas close the digital divide with initiatives such as high-speed internet access to emergency medical personnel.
“Every person who has received emergency medical services knows not a second can be taken for granted,” the department’s EMS Director Dylan Ferguson said. “Robust, reliable broadband access for rural EMS companies means moving toward 21st century communication abilities. Communication between EMS personnel, 9-1-1 dispatchers, and medical facilities raises a community’s level of life-saving care.”
Pennsylvania has more than 42,000 certified EMS providers who work for nearly 1,300 licensed ground and air EMS agencies, which provide services throughout the state. These providers respond to more than one million requests for service each year.
For more information on Emergency Medical Services in Pennsylvania, visit the Department of Health website at www.health.pa.gov or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
MEDIA CONTACT: Nate Wardle, 717-787-1783 or ra-dhpressoffice@pa.gov
# # #