Mercy Health expands emergency services
9/12/2018
Perrysburg Township firefighter Jake Hoffman, left, talks with fourth year medical student Lauren Doda, center, on how to use a hydraulic stretcher during a demonstration for medical students and residents to learn how to extract a person from inside a car after a wreck Wednesday at Owens Community College's Center for Emergency Preparedness.
THE BLADE/KATIE RAUSCH
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Mercy Health unveiled an expanded emergency medical services division that will coordinate with others in the area to better ensure care.
Hospital officials held a kick-off event Wednesday before area first responders at Owens Community College's Center for Emergency Preparedness.
The team is composed of five EMS physicians who will offer 24/7 on-call support for all regional emergency medical agencies. They will provide training availability as well.
This team creates an improved depth of service, said Dr. Nicholas Sauber, regional EMS medical director for Mercy Health.
WATCH: Dr. Nicholas Sauber on the expanded EMS service
PHOTO GALLERY: Medical students and residents get emergency response training
“We have five physicians that are on the same page and can back each other up. That's five physicians that can go out and meet all the different agencies, and come to their continuing education, their fire training night, things of that nature,” Dr. Sauber said.
Mercy is supplying offices, administrative assistance, a training center, and emergency physician response vehicles. Ongoing quality assurance and certifications will help as well, Dr. Sauber said.
Responding to calls in the field will allow Mercy's medical professionals to provide better insight and further increase care, he said.
“The real advantage to all of this is, in order for physicians to be effective, they have to be present in the community. They have to know the EMS providers. They have to know the area. They have to know the unique issues that each agency and each area has,” Dr. Sauber said.
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Among the available devices is a simulator for complex training that typically costs between $60,000 to $80,000. Agencies cannot always travel to Toledo for practice, and instead can be served locally, he said.
LIVE FROM THE BLADE: Mercy Health unveils new EMS division
Pvt. Sterling Rahe, Toledo fire spokesman, said the department has served as an EMS partner with Mercy and all of the other area agencies for a long time.
That partnership already includes a community paramedicine program, which provides comprehensive medical support. These help maximize efforts for residents, he said.
“We're happy that they're able to expand their services in an ever-growing EMS environment,” Private Rahe said.
Contact Ryan Dunn at rdunn@theblade.com, 419-724-6095, or on Twitter @RDunnBlade.