PHOENIX — Maricopa Ambulance has been designated a Premier EMS Agency by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) and Bureau of EMS and Trauma System.
The award signifies that Maricopa Ambulance has met the requirements for utilizing data to improve patient outcomes for ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) cardiac patients, stroke, major trauma and out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.
“This designation honors our commitment to data-driven quality improvement and patient care, which is our No. 1 priority,” said Maricopa Ambulance Operations Manager Jason Payne. “The Premier EMS Agency Program allows us to work with the ADHS to combine our data with our statewide EMS partners to identify trends and areas of possible improvement in our EMS systems. The program offers agencies the tools to continuously seek a higher level of excellence, and we are pleased to be recognized as a leader in that effort.”
Maricopa Ambulance reached the top classification in the program satisfying all five requirements, which are comprised of agency leadership commitment; quality improvement programs; collecting and submitting electronic patient care reports; participation in statewide data and quality assurance initiatives; and ensuring data informs analysis and quality improvement programs.
The Premier EMS Agency Program by ADHS was formed to ensure patients in Arizona receive standardized, quality prehospital care and transport to a health care intuition equipped and staffed to render appropriate care. The voluntary participation of EMS agencies and health care institutions in this program help develop standardized data collection and submission processes. The data submitted by Maricopa Ambulance and other participating Arizona EMS agencies is used by the ADHS to identify trends and develop improvement methods across the state.