Emergency Medical Services and Lifeflight

Marc Restuccia, MD  Medical Director EMS and Lifeflight, Director MD Access

Stacy Weisberg, MD Associate Medical Diretor EMS and Lifeflight, EMS Fellowship Director

James Fitch, MD, Assistant Medical Director EMS and Lifeflight

Life Flight: Life Flight for Umass Memorial Medical Center (UMMMC), established in September 1982, was New England’s first dedicated air medical program.  Life Flight responds to scene calls and conducts interhospital transports throughout a service area ranging from southern Connecticut to New Hampshire and from Boston, Massachusetts, to Albany, New York.  The program transports over 1,000 patients annually and is the busiest single-aircraft program in the country and operates the only air medical program.  Life Flight, continues to include a physician as a team member on every flight.  Our new helicopter is housed on the University Campus in a brand new Hanger.  Air Methods, our Aviation Partner will be equipping our Flight Team with Night Vision Goggles (NVGs) this spring.  In addition, we will shortly be acquiring the technology, along with all of the other New England programs, to have the ability via satellite to follow all air medical aircraft in flight in New England, in real time. 

Worcester EMS (WEMS): Worcester EMS, remains the ALS 911 provider for the City of Worcester and the town of Shrewsbury.  With a call volume in excess of 30,000 per year, Worcester EMS is the second busiest provider of 911 services in New England. 

In March 2009, Worcester EMS began using a fully electronic patient care report. In addition, we have purchased Automatic Vehicle Locators for our ambulances, which will allow the Communications Specialist to always be able to send the closest truck and new information terminals will be placed in each ambulance, and allowing the Communications Specialist to send dispatch information directly to each truck, without radios.

We have been working with a professor from WPI to design and eventually have built the “next generation” of ambulance.  Enhanced safety for the crew and patient will be the primary goals.

Communications Center:  The Communications Center has moved to full Emergency Medical Dispatching (EMD) with enhancement in patient care.   The Communications Center has many functions, including:
-    Worcester EMS Dispatching
-    Life Flight Operations
-    MDAccess
-    Toxicology Consults
-    Trauma Team Activation
-    Activation of the Cardiac and Vascular Interventional Teams

Finally, UMMMC sponsors a Tactical EMS Team and the opportunity exists, for well qualified individuals to apply to the Team as a Medical Provider.  In addition, we sponsor a Level 1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team and there is the possibility for joining the team and deploying to natural disasters all across the United States. 

Worcester EMS

UMassMemorial Lifeflight

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