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It is often said that emergency medical services (EMS) providers deal with people on their worst day. While that is true in many cases, what is always true is that these brave medical professionals care for people in their communities when those people need them the most.
Last week was Emergency Medical Services Week, a national recognition of those who put themselves before others – often, on a volunteer basis – to provide the emergency care needed when situations are dire and lives are on the line.
When we think of these first responders, many of us think of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics, but EMS providers also include specialized positions like flight nurses and pre-hospital nurses. And these folks are members of our community caring for our community. You might see them picking up your kids from school or a youth sports league, and you’d never know their dedication to keeping you safe until you or a loved one needs their expertise.
They respond to everything from personal medical emergencies like heart attacks and strokes to the aftermath of traumatic accidents and violent incidents. Before COVID-19 ever reached our community, their daily routine brought them into unstable environments to confront unknown dangers, all to pull patients out of those scenarios to safety.
When COVID-19 hit, all of that uncertainty and danger was ramped up considerably. EMS crews battled personnel and PPE shortages, improvising to keep themselves and their patients as safe as possible. They dove into emergency response to care for the sickest COVID-19 patients just as they always have, with regard for the patients first. And in doing so, they put themselves at as great a risk as anyone in health care throughout the pandemic.
In hospital settings, certain things can be controlled. Cleanliness, infection prevention, traffic flow, care protocol – these are all elements that can be managed closely to protect everyone inside hospital walls. When EMS providers are entering the house of a patient for the first time, these variables cannot be controlled with any degree of certainty.
This year’s EMS Week theme: “This is EMS: Caring for Our Communities,” was fitting because it describes not only the people who benefit from the brave work of EMS providers – our own friends and neighbors – but also the environment in which these dedicated, selfless professionals perform their duties each day – our communities, with all of their unpredictable, messy and often daunting situations.
The pandemic has put a lot in perspective for us since March of last year, and we’ve grown to appreciate one another more than we might have before. Last week was a week of recognition, but every day is a good day to thank our EMS heroes for everything they do.
Thanking your local EMS crews can be as simple as stopping them on the street when you see professionals in uniform, but you can also donate to their organizations, which are likely dependent upon the generosity of their communities. Consider purchasing a membership to your local EMS agency, or, if the calling beckons, joining the ranks of EMS providers yourself.
Among the ways you can thank EMS professionals this year, the easiest and most considerate may be to get vaccinated against COVID-19. You’ll be protecting EMS crews against the spread of the virus in your community, and you’ll be doing your part to get us through this pandemic
Dr. Alfred Casale, a cardiothoracic surgeon, is chief medical officer for surgical services for Geisinger and chair of the Geisinger Heart Institute. Readers may write to him via ae@www.timesleader.com.