The week is designed to bring together our local community and medical personnel to promote safety and honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of medicine’s ‘front line.’ Azeem Ahmed, MD, medical director of AirCare and the Emergency Medicine Services Learning Resource Center at UI Hospitals and Clinics, talks about emergency medicine services:
How many ambulance and walk-in patients does the Emergency Treatment Center at UI Hospitals and Clinics receive on a daily basis?
On average, our Emergency Treatment Center sees between 130 to 150 patients per day. Of those, 25 to 30 arrive by ground or air ambulance, with the remainder arriving by private vehicle or walking in.
Are all the emergency events that come to UI Hospitals and Clinics from local incidents/accidents?
We have our share of local incidents and accidents, but patients also arrive from within the region—central or east central Iowa—and from out of state as well. Patients that arrive at our Emergency Treatment Center are from a wide locale and not just limited to Iowa City or the Johnson County area.
How important are the first responders to any medical emergency?
The first responders are very important. They are the first line of treatment and in an emergency medical situation, they’re able to get to the patient quickly and get the treatment started as reinforcements arrive.
What is the role of an emergency responder?
The role of the emergency medical responder is to quickly arrive at the patient’s side and begin treatment and stabilization in order for the patient to be transported to the local hospital. Without them, the entire of chain of emergency medical services would break down. Emergency medical responders are very, very important in emergency medicine.
When an ambulance arrives at a level one trauma center, like UI Hospitals and Clinics, does every minute really count?
Every minute does count, especially in critical situations like trauma, heart attacks, or strokes. It’s very important that patients arrive quickly and safely to our Emergency Department because treatments are time-sensitive when it comes to critical illness.
We just mentioned UI Hospitals and Clinics is a ‘level one trauma center,’ what does that mean?
The designation of a level one trauma center indicates that we are prepared to treat adults and pediatric trauma patients on a comprehensive basis. We have the people, the equipment, and the facilities to care for everything from a minor trauma to a devastating injury.
UI Hospitals and Clinics just completed the first phase of emergency room renovations. How have the renovations improved conditions for staff and patients?
The conditions for staff and patients have improved tremendously. We now a patient-centered care environment in a modern facility that has the latest equipment, comfortable surroundings, and organizational structure that is conducive to excellent patient care and excellent customer service.
Is Emergency Medicine doing anything special this week to make others aware of their service to all of us?
We’re doing several media pieces such as this, as well as having displays throughout the hospital as well as just word of mouth to our citizens as well as our emergency medical services providers. Our hope is that no one requires the Emergency Department or the use of Emergency Medical Services, but if there is a need, we want everybody to know that we will be there for them 24/7, 365 days a year. |
