A String Cheese and Bottled Water Partnership for Improved Patient Care

Our hospitals have positioned themselves as some of the greatest academic and research facilities in the world. The expertise hospitals provide is greater than ever before. Today, I am proud to work for one of those systems and humbled at the opportunity they have entrusted to me.

Over the last few decades Hospital systems have benefited greatly from ambulance systems in their community. Many cities around the country fund these services through taxpayers, private insurance and public aid. While others carry much of the financial burden, hospitals have benefited from patient admissions, Catheterization, life-long treatments, surgeries and first-time patient contacts.

Having worked in both in the emergency medical services (EMS) and Hospital systems for nearly 25 years I have fielded many questions from hospital leadership asking why EMS does this and why don’t they do that. All the while we elevate expectations that they purchase technology, add layers of QA/QI, improve response time, maintain the latest academic standards of our institutions, the list is growing.

Demands on our EMS partners have grown exponentially over recent years. Public funding has been stagnant, in some cases diminished, while expenses such as salaries, insurance and logistics have gone through the roof. Due to the exorbitant resources many hospitals have, the cost to integrate more with EMS can be minimal yet extremely impactful.  Here are a few efficient ways hospitals can partner with our EMS community:

1. Providing high quality education. Not just a few volunteers at the last minute. Hospitals have some of the greatest neurologist and cardiothoracic surgeons in the world. Use that expertise to raise the level of education in our EMT’s and Paramedics. Be intentional, find out what EMS needs and go find that resource, you have it.

2. Provide these educational opportunities on their terms. Running a 24/7/365 organization is a challenge, ask what works best for their schedule.

3. Provide free or reduced Medical Direction. If your state allows for this, our physicians already interact with the crews. Formalize the process and potentially save EMS thousands of dollars.

4. Much of the equipment and technology you use inside the hospital is provided by the same vendors that provide EMS. Take time in your contracts and negotiations to look for opportunities to invite your EMS agency into the process.

5. Subsidize their onboarding of new hires by making space in your ED rotations for EMT’s and Paramedics to shadow. The relationship will build trust and a great opportunity for the new hire to check off skills. One of my favorite memories is from over 20 years ago when I shadowed a Labor & Delivery unit in Kansas City. Be positive and have fun with this.

6. Collaborate with the other hospitals in your area. Asking what everyone can do consistently to provide more for your EMS community. Strength through unity.

7. Develop an aggressive, intentional offload plan for incoming EMS units. Due to the extreme challenge of staffing and providing additional units, hospitals can make great strides to receive their incoming patients quickly and provide space and resources for that unit to return to service ASAP. Chances are good their next call is a transfer coming out of one your facilities anyway.

Many hospitals have already begun investing in their EMS community and quickly discovered the benefits. The hope is for this to become the standard and not the rarity. Hospitals, and more importantly our patients, have long benefited from the rapid improvements and benefits EMS offers, now is the time to grab this opportunity for collaboration and growth.

Statistics demonstrates improved care and response times by EMS has not only a direct correlation but clear causation in the improvement of patient outcomes, reduced length of stay, and can improve TCD activation times. This is not only an investment into the hospital system you serve, but also your community.

There are so many ways to grow this relationship. Be intentional. Reach out to them. Ask how you can grow together, and please put out for them some string cheese and bottled water. They have more then earned it. Maybe even a full-size bottle.