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Originally Posted by Carla B
Wow, only two 24hr staffed ambulances? They seem to have been very busy lately. We Sumter Co. residents need to follow this issue closely. If the new service is truly inferior, we should demand remedies from the county gov't.
If you google "FL trauma centers" you'll find there are 22 hospitals in the state of Florida that qualify as trauma hospitals. Seven are "Level 1" centers capable of delivering the highest level of care in the shortest possible time. As Sunny was told, the closest trauma centers to us are UF Shands, Orlando Regional, and Tampa General, all of which, fortunately, are Level 1.
I have a question for Frank and Spk: on what basis is the decision made for a patient to be transferred to a trauma center and is it the EMS personnel who decide? Are only those with severe injuries transferred there or are heart attack, stroke victims, etc. taken there also?
And in this case, why did the EMS personnel suggest going to Munroe and then not know the direction?
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If service problems do become an issue then yes I would agree that is something we as a community need to address with the County but I did not mean to infer that the new service was inferior to what we had.
I can not speak to what requirements are used in FL to transport to a level 1 or any other hospital. Back when I used to be an EMT we would transport to a hospital we knew was best suited to treat certain injuries/conditions so long as the patient agreed. Or the patient would request transport to their particular hospital. Sometimes it is a tough call as I remember times when I felt a patient would be best served going to one hospital but the patient/family dictated otherwise. I would suspect that the medics have protocol they need to follow as to what injuries/conditions should go where for treatment.