Marketwire
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Rural/Metro Corporation, a national provider of private ambulance and fire protection services in 21 states and nearly 700 communities, has launched a first-of-its-kind pilot of national prehospital clinical standards for Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), ST-Elevated Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) and stroke that are aligned with CMS core measures for vascular disease.
Pilot projects are under way in Orlando, Florida; Buffalo, New York, and Tucson, Arizona. The Company’s goal is to develop, test, and implement clinically superior prehospital patient care protocols for SCA, STEMI and stroke cases that support hospitals’ efforts to achieve CMS Hospital Outpatient Quality Data Reporting Program’s core measures.
“As a national leader in prehospital emergency care, Rural/Metro’s paramedics, EMTs and other patient care providers have a unique opportunity to influence better patient outcomes by taking proven clinical actions before the patient arrives at the hospital,” said Michael P. DiMino, Rural/Metro President and Chief Executive Officer.
Dr. Brian Clemency, co-chairman of Rural/Metro’s Clinical Excellence Committee and EMS Medical Director for the Department of Emergency Medicine at Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, described the key role ambulance providers play in the spectrum of emergency healthcare services. “Hospitals and physicians value efforts on the part of our prehospital providers to recognize CMS’ core measures to enhance patient outcomes,” Dr. Clemency said.
“With Rural/Metro’s EMS providers utilizing proven, tested and consistently high-level prehospital clinical protocols, patients can be transitioned to emergency department teams with better chances for positive outcomes.”
Rural/Metro is on track to complete the three pilots in Florida, New York and Arizona by the end of this month. Provider education and training on the national clinical standards will be conducted through November, with implementation in Rural/Metro markets nationwide by the end of the year.
“We are deeply committed to researching, developing, testing, implementing and analyzing optimal clinical standards for every prehospital emergency situation,” said Mr. DiMino. “By starting with three of the most common and deadly forms of vascular attacks, we believe we can enhance patient outcomes and assist our hospital partners in meeting and exceeding CMS core measures for these cases.”
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