Here’s another crazy idea for EMS. I’ve heard it from several people in the past and I think I could get behind it. What do y’all think?
Let’s separate the emergency response side of EMS from the pure interfacility transport realm. Emergency calls and emergent responses to healthcare facilities (e.g. nursing homes and physician’s offices calling for a patient to be taken to the emergency department of a hospital) would continue to receive ambulances staffed by emergency medical technicians and paramedics. Non-emergent interfacility transfers would receive a response from a transfer system. Transfer systems would be staffed by nurses’ aides and vocational nurses who have received extra training and an endorsement in patient movement, patient transport, and vehicle operations. As for the true “critical care” patients, the ones on multiple medications and/or ventilatory support, the minimum standard should be a true critical care paramedic. In other words, a paramedic with a true critical care background (and yes, I realize there are a ton of competing critical care certifications) and possibly backed up by nursing and/or respiratory care practitioners.
A while back, I blogged about owning what you excel at. EMS excels at providing emergent/acute care interventions on an unscheduled basis. In other words, 911 calls and emergency responses. Let’s focus on that.
