News and Announcements

May

19

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5/19/2015 2:36 PM 

Williamson County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) celebrates EMS Week, May 17-23, 2015, sponsored by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT).  Williamson County has provided EMS service to the entire county for 40 years.  WilCo EMS has 146 full time staff who provide 24-hour coverage every day of the year.  The system currently operates 15 full time ambulance units strategically placed throughout the county.  EMS responded to more than 23,000 calls  for service last year.  The system was recognized by the Texas Department of State Health Service in November 2014 naming Dr. Jeff Jarvis, M.D. as Medical Director of the Year and Kenny Schnell as EMS Administrator of the Year.
This year’s theme “EMS Strong” is a year-long initiative to give EMS greater visibility among other health professions and communities as an indispensable part of the healthcare continuum. One way that WilCo EMS is proving to be an indispensable part of healthcare is through their ability to accurately diagnose heart attacks in the field. Williamson County paramedics are then able to call hospitals to activate the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory from the patient’s bed side.  This means the laboratory, cardiologist and team are arriving at the hospital the same time the patient does.  The average door-to-balloon time for those having an acute heart attack is an average of 44 minutes, with the national average being 90 minutes.  The same is true for the most serious of trauma cases.  EMS activates the surgical team and, in most cases, the surgeon meets the EMS unit at the door.  This provides for the very best care for those conditions that are most life threatening.  
Another significant contribution is through the new Williamson County EMS Community Health Paramedicine Program.  The EMS Community Health Paramedicine Program is a team of paramedics that provide non-emergency care to patients referred by a physician, hospital, or EMS.  The target population is Medicaid-eligible, low income uninsured and indigent patients residing in rural areas with limited healthcare resources.  The goal of the project is to connect Williamson County residents to primary health services, thereby decreasing their reliance on 911 for non-emergent care and decreasing repeat visits to the emergency room.  
For more information, visit www.wilco.org/ems or visit the EMS Strong website at: http://www.emsstrong.org/

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