Q&A: A Closer Look at Emergency Medical Services

In today's Q&A, we’re focusing on a crucial aspect of healthcare: pre-hospital care. While we often discuss patient care within the hospital, it’s important to highlight the vital role of EMS in responding to emergencies within the community. Tim Benningfield, Director of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), is here to give us an overview of what EMS entails and to provide insights into the team and resources that enable effective coverage of our large geography.

Today, we’re focusing on a crucial aspect of healthcare: pre-hospital care. While we often discuss patient care within the hospital, it’s important to highlight the vital role of EMS in responding to emergencies within the community. Tim, can you give us an overview of what EMS entails?

Tim Benningfield: Absolutely. Most people associate EMS with ambulance services, which involve providing emergency transportation for the sick and injured, whether from homes, highways, or other locations. We’re often the first responders to determine the necessary care and transport for patients within and sometimes outside the community.

Many think of EMS solely as ambulances with sirens blaring, rushing to emergencies. But EMS also provides non-emergent care and patient transfers. Could you elaborate on that?

Tim Benningfield: Certainly. People often don’t realize that patients who have had acute situations managed in the hospital may still need ambulance services to return to their residences, whether that’s a skilled nursing facility or their home. If a medical reason warrants an ambulance, they benefit from our service, especially given our integration within Good Samaritan.

Let’s talk about the structure of EMS services. Can you share some insights into the team and resources that enable you to cover such a large geography effectively?

Tim Benningfield: We staff four ambulances daily. Two are stationed here on campus, one at the fire station in Bicknell, and one at the fire station in Wheatland, covering Steam Township. Each ambulance is staffed 24/7 with two providers. Typically, we have a paramedic on three of the ambulances and two EMTs on one. Impressively, over 90% of Knox County's geography is covered by an ambulance within 10 miles, reaching 93% of the population.

Time to response is crucial in emergencies. How do you manage to maintain such impressive coverage and response times?

Tim Benningfield: Response time can be the difference between life and death. We aim to minimize wait times, whether due to distance or our ambulances being occupied. This requires strong partnerships with local elected officials and communities, all of whom have been incredibly supportive.

Let’s not forget to highlight the teamwork involved in EMS. Could you explain the roles of EMTs and paramedics?

Tim Benningfield: Each ambulance has an EMT, who has about 200 hours of training, capable of providing basic life support. Paramedics, on the other hand, are advanced life support providers with training similar to nurses, though with a different scope. They handle more complex tasks like airway management, intravenous therapy, heart monitoring, and more, often under challenging conditions.

EMS operates around the clock. Could you give us an idea of the volume of calls you handle annually?

Tim Benningfield: For the six months ending June 30th, we responded to over 3,200 calls and transported over 2,600 patients. We expect to transport at least 6,000 patients this year, most of whom come to Good Samaritan, though some go elsewhere or leave here for other facilities.

What else should the community know about EMS?

Tim Benningfield: The strong relationship between our EMS department and Good Samaritan has been crucial to our success. Local governments have approved a capital plan for the next 5-10 years, ensuring new equipment and reliable ambulances. Recent investments, such as the $300,000 into our garage, have had a profound impact, reducing fuel costs and noise from running ambulances.

Thank you, Tim, for your leadership and dedication. Hopefully, this has provided valuable insight into the essential role of EMS in creating a safer, healthier community for Knox County.