Sunday, May 15th, 2016, marks the beginning of the 42nd annual national EMS Week.
What do EMS practitioners do?
They provide both basic and advanced medical care at the scene of an emergency and/or en route to a hospital. These personnel are trained to not only help the physical condition of the patient but also show care and compassion during these difficult moments.
How many lives are saved by EMS practitioners each year?
The simple answer: too many too count! No records are kept of the number of lives saved directly by EMS personnel, but if we look at the facts, the number is easily in the millions:
- An American will experience a heart attack every 43 seconds, which, after the math, comes out to almost 733,400 cases per year.
- Two and a half million traumatic brain injuries occur each year.
- Roughly 360,000 people suffer from cardiac arrest annually.
What’s the future of EMS?
EMS is completely transforming the healthcare system in the United States through improved medical resources, reduced health care costs, and better population health. This new model has gone from a fee-for-service model to a much more patient-centered, value and outcomes based model, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store down the line.
We are thankful for their efforts and dedication to saving lives.