LEHIGH VALLEY HEALTH NETWORK EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

LEHIGH VALLEY HEALTH NETWORK EMS CONTINUES TO HAVE TWO PRE-HOSPITAL BRANCHES, WEST END OPERATIONS (FORMERLY WEST END COMMUNITY AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION) WHICH HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS THE PRIMARY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AGENCY IN THE FOLLOWING TOWNSHIPS: CHESTNUTHILL, POLK, ELDRED, AND TUNKHANNOCK, WITH A TOTAL OF OVER 35,000 RESIDENTS ANNUALLY AND INCREASES TO OVER 75,000 DURING PEAK VACATION PERIODS IN THE SUMMER AND WITH MAJOR EVENTS IN MONROE COUNTY. OUR WEST END OPERATIONS PROVIDE SERVICES TO HAMILTON, AND ROSS TOWNSHIPS, WITH A TOTAL OF 15,023 RESIDENTS. WEST END COVERS 154 SQUARE MILES ON A PRIMARY AND FIRST DUE BASIS. WEST END CONTINUES TO PROVIDE MUTUAL AID SERVICES TO STROUD TOWNSHIP, STROUDSBURG BOROUGH, EAST STROUDSBURG BOROUGH AND AT TIMES MIDDLE SMITHFIELD TOWNSHIP, LEHMAN, AND PIKE COUNTY. THE WEST END CALL VOLUME FOR FY25 WAS 4,951 CALLS FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AND PATIENT MOVEMENT. THE OTHER PRE-HOSPITAL LOCATION IS THE HAZLETON OPERATIONS WHICH IS THE PRIMARY AMBULANCE SERVICE FOR THE CITY OF HAZLETON, HAZLE TOWNSHIP AND BOROUGH OF WEST HAZLETON IN LUZERNE COUNTY, BEAVER MEADOWS, AND THE BOROUGH OF WEATHERLY IN CARBON COUNTY AND SHEPPTON-ONIEDA AND EAST UNION TOWNSHIP IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY. OUR HAZLETON OPERATIONS ARE ALSO THE PRIMARY ALS PROVIDER FOR MCADOO, RUSH TWP, RYAN TWP, IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, AND BANKS TOWNSHIP IN CARBON COUNTY.THE HAZLETON OPERATIONS SERVES LOWER LUZERNE COUNTY AND PORTIONS OF CARBON AND SCHUYLKILL COUNTIES ENCOMPASSING A 100-MILE RADIUS OF COVERAGE AREA AS PRIMARY AND FIRST DUE BASIS FOR OVER 100,000 RESIDENTS ANNUALLY. IN FY25, HAZLETON OPERATIONS RESPONDED TO OVER 9,000 CALLS FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AND PATIENT MOVEMENT.OUR MEDEVAC CRITICAL CARE GROUND TRANSPORT SERVICE HANDLES ALL CRITICAL CARE PATIENT MOVEMENT THROUGHOUT THE LEHIGH VALLEY HEALTH NETWORK AND TO OUTSIDE HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS AS REQUESTED. IN ADDITION TO THE 24/7 EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES LVHN EMS PROVIDES THROUGH OUR PRE-HOSPITAL LOCATIONS, LVHN EMS ALSO SUPPORTS OUR AREA EMS PARTNERS AND ALL LVH CAMPUSES WITH TRANSPORTS OF BOTH CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF CARE, AND DISCHARGED HOME PATIENTS WITH ALL AREAS OF THE EMS BUSINESS. THE MEDEVAC CRITICAL CARE GROUND VOLUME FOR FY25 WAS 2,000 TRANSPORTS FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AND PATIENT MOVEMENT FOR HIGHER LEVEL OF CARE. LVHN EMS WEST END OPERATIONS HAS SERVED AS THE PRIMARY EVENT MEDICAL TEAM FOR THE WEST END FAIR FOR OVER TWENTY-FIVE YEARS. IN 2024, AN ESTIMATED 100,000 PLUS PEOPLE AGAIN ATTENDED THE 103RD ANNUAL WEST END FAIR. LVHN EMS WEST END OPERATIONS EMPLOYS 26 FULL-TIME ADVANCED AND BASIC LIFE SUPPORT PROVIDERS AND 16 PER DIEM PROVIDERS; HAZLETON OPERATIONS EMPLOYS 39 FULL-TIME AND 9 PER DIEM ADVANCED AND BASIC LIFE SUPPORT PROVIDERS, 4 FULL-TIME DISPATCHERS, 1 PER DIEM DISPATCHER AND 1 FULL-TIME ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR; THE MEDEVAC CRITICAL CARE GROUND SERVICE EMPLOYS 29 FULL AND PART TIME ALS LEVEL PERSONNEL. OUR PRE-HOSPITAL FLEET IS COMPRISED OF 19 AMBULANCES AND FOUR EMS SQUADS THAT ARE UTILIZED AT OUR FOUR STATIONS. OUR EMS LICENSURE OF OUR ENTIRE BUSINESS IS CURRENT THROUGH 12/31/2025. IN THE PAST YEAR OUR PRE-HOSPITAL SERVICE ADDED 6 NEW AMBULANCES THAT IMPROVED OUR FLEET DEPENDABILITY AND SAFETY FOR CREWS AND PATIENTS. THE PURPOSE OF A VEHICLE REPLACEMENT PLAN IS TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE LATEST AND BEST EQUIPMENT TO KEEP OUR CREWS AND PATIENTS SAFE WHEN RESPONDING AND TRANSPORTING TO HOSPITAL. WITH THESE ADDITIONS OUR WEST END OPERATIONS HAVE GROWN TO 8 AMBULANCES AND 2 SQUADS; HAZLETON OPERATIONS HAVE GROWN TO 11 AMBULANCES AND 2 SQUADS. THIS GROWTH ALLOWS IMPROVED PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLES AS WELL AS OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY. WE STANDARDIZED OUR PRE-HOSPITAL GEAR TO ALIGN ACROSS ALL AREAS WITH NEW PAX GEAR BAGS. THIS HAS ENSURED THAT ANY AMBULANCE CAN BE USED IN ANY LOCATION WITH ANY STAFF AND ALL EQUIPMENT IS IDENTICAL. WITH THE HELP OF GRANT AND COMMUNITY HEALTH FUNDING THROUGH OUR NETWORK, THE PRE-HOSPITAL SERVICES WERE ABLE TO ADD A CAN AM UTV AND TRAILER EQUIPPED TO RESPOND AND TRANSPORT PATIENTS IN OFF-ROAD CONDITIONS AND FOR USE AT SPECIAL EVENTS IN FY25. ALSO, EACH PRE-HOSPITAL LOCATION WAS ABLE TO ACQUIRE AN ENCLOSED TRAILER WITH IDENTICAL SPECIAL OPERATIONS EQUIPMENT TO BE USED ON LARGE SCALE INCIDENTS TO SUPPORT OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE, THESE UNITS ARE ALSO DEPLOYED FOR LARGE EVENTS SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITIES AS WELL. IN ADDITION, WE CONTINUE TO OFFER OUR PRIMARY TOWNSHIPS THE FOLLOWING SERVICES: -- PROVIDE CPR AND FIRST AID TRAINING FOR ALL OUR COMMUNITIES AND THEIR STAFF.-- PROVIDE RE-CERTIFICATION TO CURRENT CPR HOLDERS.-- PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL FIRST AID AND BLEEDING CONTROL COURSE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES ROAD CREWS AND STAFF.-- PARTNERED WITH THE EASTERN PA EMS COUNCIL IN HANDS ONLY CPR AND STOP THE BLEED TRAINING PROGRAMS AT ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN MONROE, CARBON, SCHUYLKILL, NORTHAMPTON, LEHIGH, AND LUZERNE COUNTIES. -- PROVIDE PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE CHECKS AND CHANGE THE SMOKE ALARM BATTERIES AND PROVIDE SERVICE AND REPLACEMENT PADS FOR AED'S.-- LVHN EMS WEST END OPERATIONS PROVIDES ALS/BLS STANDBY SERVICES FOR THE PLEASANT VALLEY AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR FOOTBALL, CROSS COUNTRY, AND COMMUNITY EVENTS INCLUDING 5K'S, AND SMALL FAIRS WITHIN THE WEST END COVERAGE AREA. -- LVHN EMS HAZLETON OPERATIONS PROVIDES ALS/BLS STANDBY SERVICES FOR THE HAZLETON AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT ATHLETIC EVENTS, COMMUNITY EVENTS AND EDUCATION TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AS REQUESTED. -- THIS PAST YEAR WE AGAIN PROVIDED ALS/BLS SERVICES FOR POCONO RACEWAY FOR THE NASCAR EVENTS AND ELEMENTS EVENTS. IN THE CITY OF HAZLETON, THESE SAME SERVICES WERE PROVIDED FOR MULTIPLE SUMMER CONCERT AND FIREWORKS EVENTS ON A WEEKLY BASIS.