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1. What is EMS?

EMS stands for Emergency Medical Service. EMS provides medical care outside of the hospital or medical office setting. Most often, people call EMS when they have had an accident or are experiencing a medical emergency. Emergencies might include a heart attack, difficulty breathing, falls, accidents, drowning, cardiac arrest, stroke, drug overdose, and acute illnesses. EMS may provide both basic and advanced medical care at the scene of an emergency and en route to a hospital.

2. What hospital will the ambulance take me to?

Patients transported from emergency calls go to a hospital emergency room for evaluation and treatment. There are several rules that govern where the patient can be transported. The ambulance will normally transport the patient to their hospital of choice. If the patient is critical (e.g., in cardiac arrest) they will be transported to the closest facility. If the patient has certain medical conditions, (e.g., trauma injury, burn, or chest pain) they will be transported to the closest appropriate facility. Pediatric patients may be transported to the hospital of choice or to Children’s Mercy, depending on the situation.

Currently hospitals can select to be closed to patients arriving by ambulance. If that is the situation for the chosen hospital, the technicians will advise that the wait at that hospital may be delayed and give the patient the opportunity to select an alternative facility. However, if the patient insists on being taken to that closed facility, the ambulance will transport them there.

3. Requesting copies of a Patient Care Report

Copies of medical reports can be accessed through www.chartswap.com.