Five years ago, the long term viability of Plumas District Hospital’s Emergency Medical Services program was in question. On July 1, 2016, Plumas District Hospital and Care Flight formed a partnership to revitalize the EMS program.
With Care Flight, staffing increased, a Quick Response Vehicle (QRV) was added to daily staffing. Outgoing patient flights from PDH decreased by over 30 percent in the first year, and Emergency Medical Dispatching (EMD) was added to the service. These improvements were just the beginning. Over the course of the next four years, PDH purchased new modernized ambulances and all vehicles were placed into the REMSA fleet maintenance program.
During this time, Care Flight and PDH organized CPR and Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) classes that were open to the community and other county businesses and agencies. Today, almost 2,000 community members in Plumas County are now CPR certified! This resulted in Quincy becoming the first rural community in California to receive the Heart Safe designation.
The national average for Cardiac Arrest survival was 8-10 percent. Through the creation of local protocols and procedures, Care Flight and PDH have improved the outcomes of heart attack and stroke patients in Plumas County. In 2017, The EMS program at PDH achieved a Cardiac Arrest survival rate of 43 percent, the highest of any EMS program in Northern California.
Care Flight also worked with PDH and its physicians to start an in-home wellness visit program. Through this program, Care Flight paramedics go to patients’ homes within the community, per their physician’s request, to check on at-risk patients and ensure they are following discharge orders, taking medications as prescribed, as well as to check vital signs and any other pertinent information the physician may need to ensure the health of that patient. Care Flight paramedics and EMTs also work in the hospital emergency room alongside the hospital staff to provide additional staffing and support to PDH.
Care Flight and PDH extended their partnership to Indian Valley in late 2019 and have brought the same advanced services and level of care to that area as well. Care Flight and PDH now provide EMS services to over 50 percent of Plumas County geographically.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Care Flight EMTs and paramedics, worked alongside PDH and Plumas County Health to treat and care for those affected by the virus, participated in countless Covid-19 vaccination clinics around the county, and provided vaccinations for those who were home-bound.
Darren Beatty, Chief Operating Officer of PDH, was asked about the importance of this partnership. “Five years ago we placed our trust in Care Flight to assume ambulance services in our community. In that time, we have seen a dramatic and sustained improvement in the quality of care for the patients we serve. Care Flight is a true partner and we look forward to many more years of innovative collaboration.”
Matt Brown, Care Flight Operations Manager, shared his thoughts on the past five years with PDH. “The partnership that PDH and Care Flight share is truly remarkable. The collaboration and shared vision of improving and enhancing rural healthcare and doing what is right for the patient has driven this partnership from day one. We have built an integrated healthcare system that capitalizes on each other’s strengths and provides a level of service that is rarely seen in rural areas such as Plumas County. Our crews don’t just go on 911 calls, but rather provide multifaceted services in and out of the hospital setting every day. We are excited to continue our partnership with PDH far into the future and continue to improve rural healthcare together.”
JoDee Read, CEO of PDH, expressed her appreciation for the partnership and for Care Flight Staff. “Our partnership with Care Flight has become a model that represents service excellence. I could not be more pleased with the professionalism of our talented group of caring and compassionate men and women who make a difference for our community every day!”
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July 02, 2021 at 04:44AM
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PDH and Care Flight celebrate five-years; EMS program leads north state in cardiac arrest survival - Plumas County Newspapers
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