Celebrating EMS Week 2017
“EMS is most easily recognized when emergency vehicles or helicopters are seen responding to emergency incidents. But EMS is much more than a ride to the hospital. It is a system of coordinated response and emergency medical care, involving multiple people and agencies. A comprehensive EMS system is ready every day for every kind of emergency.” – https://www.ems.gov/
This year, EMS Week is celebrated from May 21 to 27, using the theme of EMS Strong: Always in Service. We look back on our special stories of heroism from past patients and the University of Florida Health ShandsCair team.
ShandsCair celebrated 35 years of life-saving missions last December. Savannah’s story, Jerry’s story and Micah’s story tell of the intensive care provided en route by the ShandsCair flight team.
Fast facts about ShandsCair:
1. The ShandsCair EC-155 helicopter typically transports patients from pre-hospital scenes within a 75-mile radius. 2. Community hospital emergency rooms and ICU’s up to a 185-mile radius are also serviced by helicopter. 3. Care is provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 4. ShandsCair bases are located in Gainesville, Florida; Summerfield, Florida; Perry, Florida; and Panama City, Florida. 5. The program includes four helicopters, a fixed-wing jet, two medical discharge vans and six ground ambulances.
We salute our ShandsCair team for their outstanding dedication and service to the region – saving more than 72,000 lives in the past 35 years.
To learn more about EMS at UF Health, visit their Facebook page or http://shandscair.ufhealth.org/.