We recently celebrated National EMS (Emergency Medical Services) week from May 18-24, and this month I’d like to highlight how critical these team members are to patient care and our team at Blue Ridge Regional Hospital (BRRH). They are, in essence, the crucial link between treating the patient before they arrive at the hospital and releasing them to our care.
EMS professionals are our community’s first responders to patients who experience urgent health crises like a heart attack or stroke, as well as drug overdoses, auto accidents, and many other serious situations where speedy care and quick but sound decisions are essential. They even play an important role in responding to natural disasters, as we recently witnessed with Hurricane Helene. There are many stories featuring the heroism of EMS team members during this event that changed our lives and landscape forever.
Two examples of life-threatening health emergencies where not a second can be wasted are sepsis and stroke. Sepsis develops when a person’s immune system goes into overdrive to fight an infection, but the overreaction causes a severe, widespread inflammatory response in the body. If the patient doesn’t get treated promptly, organ failure and death can result. For sepsis patients, our EMS partners may administer intravenous antibiotics per their protocol prior to arrival at BRRH, and this helps with providing the patient with antibiotic treatment in less than an hour.
For stroke patients, “time is brain,” meaning that irreversible brain cell damage is swift and must be addressed as quickly as possible. EMS notifies the BRRH Emergency Department team of the Code Stroke, and we ensure that the CT scanner is ready for the patient as soon as they arrive, that the tele-neurologist has been notified, and, when necessary, we’re prepared to provide robotically assisted stroke care. This makes it possible for our team, if the patient qualifies, to receive clot-busting medication in less than 45 minutes.
Not only are EMS team members tasked with stabilizing and caring for the patient as they travel to BRRH, but they must also communicate effectively with our team so we can be equipped and ready to continue the care they started, seamlessly.
EMS services, the hospital, and local providers are also critical resources when it comes to treating people with opioid use disorder, a widespread and significant public health challenge.
Because EMS services are so pivotal to the treatment of patients and to the care we deliver at BRRH, a healthy and collaborative relationship must exist and be nurtured between EMS and our hospital, and we work together to achieve this.
As we look to the future, there is an ever-increasing need for EMS services, evidenced by steadily increasing patient calls and more medical complexity with patients. We must keep pace with these needs and keep future enhancements for EMS vehicles in mind.
Exemplary care, close to home, is something I mention frequently in my column as an invaluable benefit our community members can access. This means neighbors caring for neighbors, friends, and sometimes even family members.
The concept extends to our EMS partnerships as well, since our EMS agencies and staff are locally based. This infuses unique heart and meaning into the care our community receives, and they value it immensely. This partnership is another way that BRRH carries out the privilege of caring for our community.
Tonia W. Hale, DNP, MAOM, BSN, RN, is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Nursing Officer of Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine. Hale is a proven leader with more than 32 years of progressive healthcare experience. A native of East Tennessee, she holds an associate’s degree in nursing from Walters State Community College, a baccalaureate degree in nursing from the University of Tennessee, a master’s degree in organizational management from Tusculum University, and a doctor of nursing practice degree in executive leadership from East Tennessee State University. Ms. Hale is currently a resident of Burnsville.
