Emergency Medical
Services
The Emergency Medical Services Department includes approximately 80 paramedics and EMTs who provide critical care transport service from community hospitals to Stony Brook University Medical Center. Many of these patients are in need of advanced services not provided by the smaller community hospitals. The department staffs 12 critical care ambulances located at SBUMC and on the east end of Long Island. Approximately 9,000 patients are transported each year.
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SBUMC EMS paramedics staff the Suffolk County medevac helicopters located in the east and west portions of the county. The east base is staffed 16 hours a day and the west base is staffed 24 hours a day. The paramedics provide medical care on the Suffolk County Police Department’s four aircraft. Approximately 450 medevac flights are completed each year.
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Online medical control for Suffolk County’s volunteer ambulance services is provided by the EMS department. At least one medical control operator/paramedic is on duty 24 hours a day to facilitate communication with the on duty medical control physician. The medical control center is located adjacent to the transfer center in the Emergency Department allowing for the rapid exchange of information between the two areas. Medical control handles approximately 30,000 requests for online medical direction per year.
On weekdays from 6 am to 6 pm SBUMC EMS paramedics staff one first responder vehicles on the east end of Suffolk County. These vehicles assist the volunteer agencies with their daytime response and are a valuable resource to the local communities. The east end first responders answer approximately 1,400 calls per year in conjunction with the volunteer agencies.
SBUMC EMS provides emergency medical education through CME programs provided at local agencies and through a high tech mobile simulation vehicle called the Simulance. The vehicle was designed specifically for training and is outfitted with audio visual equipment to facilitate learning in the group environment. Scenario sessions are recorded and played back for critique by the instructors and audience.
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The EMS department is the Difficult Airway Course: EMS™ sponsor for the north east region of the country. The Difficult Airway Course: EMS™ teaches advanced airway principles and practices that help providers of any skill level become more confident with their airway management decisions. The course is taught by paramedic and physician instructors approximately 6 times a year at various locations throughout the north east region.
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Monthly Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support courses are organized for clinical staff. Research opportunities are completed in conjunction with the Department of Emergency Medicine’s research staff.