Emergycare

Infobox Ambulance Company
name = Emergycare, Inc.

motto =
established = 1983
headquarters = Erie, Pennsylvania
jurisdiction = Regional
staff type =
employees =
BLS or ALS = ALS
ambulances =
helicopters = 1
flycars =
chief =
commissioner =
CEO = Richard L. Gibbons
director =
medicaldirector =
revenue =
yearly responses =
website = [http://www.emergycare.com www.emergycare.com]

EmergyCare, Inc. was started in 1983 as a non-profit ambulance service for the city of Erie, Pennsylvania. The service has support from Hamot Medical Center and Saint Vincent Health Center, both in Erie. Emergycare currently has divisions in Erie, Meadville, Titusville, Warren and Kane. They are also co-owners of Corry Ambulance in Corry along with Corry Memorial Hospital.

ervices Provided

EmergyCare provides both emergency and non-emergency medical transportation services. They have a medical taxi service which gives ambulatory patients transportation to and from doctors appointments. They also provide wheelchair transportation for wheelchair bound patients.

EmergyCare also provides non-emergency ambulance transportation. This service is used for patients who are non-ambulatory and are unable to tolerate a wheelchair, or who may need other types of monitoring, both basic and advanced. They also provide critical care transportation by ground with what is known at the Mobile Intensive Care Unit or MICU team. These crews are specially trained to provide advanced care to critical patients. These teams can consist of an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Paramedic, and may also have a Pre Hospital RN.

EmergyCare provides emergency ambulance to all areas in their respective divisions. They also provide paramedic intercepts for residents in eastern Erie County, as well as areas in Northern Crawford County, PA.

On July 11, 2008, Emergycare announced that they would be ceasing service to Meadville starting on September 28, 2008. [cite news |title=Meadville to lose EmergyCare |last=Hahn |first=Tim |work=Erie Times-News |date=2008-07-11 |accessdate=2008-07-11 |url=http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008807110358]

LifeStar Air Medical Services

EmergyCare provides medical crew staffing for LifeStar helicopter which is based out of Harborcreek Township, PA. The LifeStar program was started in May, 1986. The current aircraft is an Eurocopter EC 145.

The flight team is comprised of a pilot, critical care/emergency Board Certified RN and critical care paramedic. The pilots and the mechanic are employed by Air Methods Corporation, which conducts all aviation services for the LifeStar program. LifeStar is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems.

LifeStar provides a robust and comprehensive level of on-scene and interfacility critical care air medical transport within a 150 mile radius of Erie, PA. The level of care provided includes: cardiac monitoring, defibrillation, external and transvenous pacing,advanced airway management, ventilator, invasive and non-invasive CPAP/BiPAP,blood product administration,invasive line management, a-lines, central lines,extensive line of critical care medications, IV pumps,cardiac assist devices, intraaortic balloon pump management andspecialty team neonatal critical care.

Emergycare/Lifestar Operations

EmergyCare/Lifestar Operations was started with the start of Emergycare. They are currently responsible for dispatching:

*EmergyCare Ambulance (City of Erie)
*EmergyCare "Paramedic Intercept" vehicles based at Harborcreek FD, Kuhl Hose and Union City FD
*Corry Ambulance - Corry, PA

Eight fire departments:
*Greenfield Volunteer Fire Department - Greenfield Twp
*Kuhl Hose Company - Greene Twp
*Lake City Fire Department - Lake City, PA
*Perry Hi-Way Hose Company - Summit Twp
*Mill Village Fire Department - Mill Village, PA
*Stancliff Hose Company - Waterford, PA
*Wattsburg Hose Company - Wattsburg, PA
*Union City Fire Department - Union City, PA

Three police departments:
*Edinboro Police Department - Edinboro, PA
*Lake City Police Department - Lake City, PA
*Union City Police Department - Union City, PA

Air Medical Services:
*Life Star
*Any other flight programs which enter the area

Also tracks calls for outlying divisions in:

*Kane, PA
*Meadville, PA
*Titusville, PA
*Warren, PA

The communications center handles 911 calls for city of Erie ambulance calls, Corry Ambulance, the eight fire departments and three police departments. They also handle connecting outlying hospitals with the trauma surgeon at Hamot Shock Trauma.Weekdays, the communications center is also staffed with two non-emergency calltakers which schedule non-emergency medical taxi, wheelchair and stretcher serivce for all divisions of the company. All emergency and non-emergency scheduling is handled through operations.

References

External links

* [http://www.emergycare.com Emergycare website]