Not so long ago, the goal of ambulance service was to get critically injured patients to a hospital as quickly as possible, while providing quality basic life support.
Fast forward to 2013 — Ambulances are now staffed by highly trained, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) who begin emergency treatment on scene and continue it en route, administering life-saving medications and transmitting diagnostic information to the Emergency Room doctor who is preparing for that patient’s arrival.
Dr. Scott Cameron, Medical Director of Provincial Emergency Programs, has seen first-hand the advances and improvements in the Island’s emergency care over the last 20 years. He says that Islanders are lucky to have such highly skilled professionals and cardiac life supports in ambulances.
“We have a very robust system. We have vehicles with GPS offering advanced care pretty close to everybody’s backyard, we’re doing well,” he said. “We can now bring critical care capacity to the patient and they are tied back to the emergency department’s voice contact with ER physicians.”
He recommends any Islander experiencing an emergency to call 911.
“The full suite of services that make up the needs for care of someone (who is critically injured) is available at Prince County Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital,” Cameron said, noting both hospitals are relatively short distances from most areas of the province.
“It truly is amazing, the technology at our fingertips, the rapidly expanding scope of our staff,” said Island Emergency Medical Services (IEMS) General Manager Matt Crossman. “Immediate treatment can save that person’s life.”
In the current ground ambulance delivery model, Health PEI provides funding and contract oversight of the performance based contract with the service provider, Island EMS Inc.
The EMS Board of PEI is the professional regulatory body responsible for licensing, continuing competency, and professional practice issues. Ground ambulance services are subsidized for eligible PEI residents. Ground ambulance services also include transfers for services both in and out of Prince Edward Island.
Two new rapid response units, one ambulance dedicated to transfering patients between facilities, will increase capacity and ambulance wait times. During the busiest time of the day, there will be 15 ambulances and two rapid response units on Island roads.
Although there are no regional or national standards for emergency response times, the average road response time on Prince Edward Island is 23 minutes, as monitored monthly by Island EMS and Health PEI.
“The new rapid response vehicles are really going to improve response times,” Crossman said. “We’re very excited about the changes.”
A new dedicated transfer unit will take patients between facilities. This will free up more ambulances to respond to emergencies and keep ambulances in communities. They’ve mapped how far they can respond within a certain time and studied call volumes and time of day to decide the best places to park the ambulances.
“We have certainly raised the bar when it comes to the level of advanced care we can deliver. I’m confident the public will see that over time,” said Crossman.
Ottawa Hospital Chief of Staff and former Canadian Medical Society President Jeff Turnbull says Prince Edward Island is heading in the right direction by strengthening ground ambulance services and acute care hospitals.
“What you really want nowadays is to get to that acute care hospital where you have the right care, as quickly as possible,” Dr. Turnbull said. “When the acute phase of your accident or illness is over, you want to get back home, where you can recover with all of the resources in the community.”
Cameron says Islanders should have no doubt about what to do in an emergency — whether you’re in a potato field in O’Leary, a Charlottetown restaurant or a beach in Souris. “Call Island EMS, they have the skills to deliver the interim care while they deliver you to a place that can provide more definitive care and management.”