Hospital based EMS.

FoleyArtist

More murse than medic now...
Messages
268
Reaction score
29
Points
28
I just read a reddit AMA from a medic working for a hospital. I know little about hospital based EMS only that they run calls in a certain entrapment area. Even then I don't know of that's accurate information I was given. I was curious how I could find who does hospital based EMS throughout the country? It seems like a leg up from private EMS and an in between to third service.
 
There's hospital based EMS all over the country. There's 1.5 hospital based services here in NM or so. I know of at least one in NV, and a bunch in Texas. Basically finding out who does it just comes down to searching "* Hospital EMS" or something similar
 
All ALS in NJ is run through the hospitals and affiliated services. EMS in Worcester, MA is also hospital based (UMASS).
 
Lowell General Hospital in Lowell, MA has medics. They respond in SUV's and Trinity EMS does the transport with the LGH medic if needed.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
It depends on the area. In NYC, there are several hospital based EMS providers, who typically do both IFT and NYC 911 (depending on the shift).

In Charleston SC, they were 100% IFT. In VA, I think they are also IFT, but one in trying to break into 911.
 
Two in Nevada. Banner Churchill and Humboldt General.
 
I just read a reddit AMA from a medic working for a hospital. I know little about hospital based EMS only that they run calls in a certain entrapment area. Even then I don't know of that's accurate information I was given. I was curious how I could find who does hospital based EMS throughout the country? It seems like a leg up from private EMS and an in between to third service.

We've got a hospital based service here acting as the County's sole 911 EMS provider.

As for one model having the leg up on another?

There is a saying, "if you've seen one EMS system, you've only seen one EMS system."
 
Grady Hospital in Atlanta, GA has its own, expansive 911 EMS system.
 
Denver EMS is run through the Denver Health and Hospital Authority.

damn totally forgot about Denver Health. I thought their youtube mini commercials were entertaining. Seems like a great place to work.

In anyones thought and opinion is hospital based ems the prime spot to be if you wanted to make a career in EMS without going FF/medic? Comparing the pay, and benefits, 401k, etc. to all the other capacities you can be a paramedic in such as private, third service, flight, swat, etc?

i ask only because in southern California i feel you're groomed to think the only way to be a career medic is become a FF/medic to get the good shifts (non more system status), awesome OT, pay, retirement. every medic i've had the pleasure of meeting that has an affinity to the medicine over fire fighting goes into nursing and just leaves ems behind (to be able to live comfortably in California).

i on the other hand am slowly realizing what lengths i'll go to make EMS my profession. i made it out California and into Nevada. so its a start. climbed one hill and already looking for the journey to the next
 
Last edited by a moderator:
damn totally forgot about Denver Health. I thought their youtube mini commercials were entertaining. Seems like a great place to work.

In anyones thought and opinion is hospital based ems the prime spot to be if you wanted to make a career in EMS without going FF/medic? Comparing the pay, and benefits, 401k, etc. to all the other capacities you can be a paramedic in such as private, third service, flight, swat, etc?

i ask only because in southern California i feel you're groomed to think the only way to be a career medic is become a FF/medic to get the good shifts (non more system status), awesome OT, pay, retirement. every medic i've had the pleasure of meeting that has an affinity to the medicine over fire fighting goes into nursing and just leaves ems behind (to be able to live comfortably in California).

i on the other hand am slowly realizing what lengths i'll go to make EMS my profession. i made it out California and into Nevada. so its a start. climbed one hill and already looking for the journey to the next
I honestly would try for a third service first. Hospital based might not give you many more advantages over private service in terms of pay and retirement.
You will see quite a lot of third service agencies doing stuff like technical rescue, extrication (New Orleans EMS does both for example), tactical, and your daily EMS. Plus third service set up as a Dept of Public Health branch (like city of Beaumont in TX) makes it in a prime position to start community health initiatives.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I honestly would try for a third service first. Hospital based might not give you many more advantages over private service in terms of pay and retirement.
You will see quite a lot of third service agencies doing stuff like technical rescue, extrication (New Orleans EMS does both for example), tactical, and your daily EMS. Plus third service set up as a Dept of Public Health branch (like city of Beaumont in TX) makes it in a prime position to start community health initiatives.

sweet.
 
Hospital-based EMS seems to work a little differently in MA. In my region, South Shore Hospital has EMS, but they primarily do IFT with some 911 backup in surrounding communities. Emerson Hospital has more traditional flycar medics, but they're provided under contract by PRO and the nearby towns are a wasteland of BLS-only FDs. I'm not going to take this opportunity to make fun of Spaulding because they know their job and they're pretty chill about it.

I honestly would try for a third service first. Hospital based might not give you many more advantages over private service in terms of pay and retirement.
You will see quite a lot of third service agencies doing stuff like technical rescue, extrication (New Orleans EMS does both for example), tactical, and your daily EMS. Plus third service set up as a Dept of Public Health branch (like city of Beaumont in TX) makes it in a prime position to start community health initiatives.

This. Something to think about, too, is that a hospital-based service is at the mercy of the hospital's management and anyone that might acquire them in the future. A hospital can always cripple or dump a money-losing service outside of their core mission; municipalities can't just decide not to have EMS (unless they're DC) and there's at least some chance that municipal decison-makers will be influenced by the public.
 
This. Something to think about, too, is that a hospital-based service is at the mercy of the hospital's management and anyone that might acquire them in the future. A hospital can always cripple or dump a money-losing service outside of their core mission; municipalities can't just decide not to have EMS (unless they're DC) and there's at least some chance that municipal decison-makers will be influenced by the public.

If a hospital is losing money on EMS, they don't know what they're doing. STEMI, Strokes, and cardiac arrest are all ways EMS can drive improved outcomes, which drive revenue. Perhaps our area is just less short sighted about EMS.

Here are some Pro's for hospital based EMS:
1. Better equipment than the third services
2. Expansive scope in comparison
3. Nicer med list (it is tough for me to name a medication in my scope I don't have access to)
4. Tight integration in the "feedback" loop; need an outcome on an odd presentation? No problem.
5. Access to jobs in nontraditional areas (EP lab, cath lab, ED, etc)

Really though unless you're asking about a specific area, you can find any model of EMS which works or doesn't work.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
If a hospital is losing money on EMS, they don't know what they're doing. STEMI, Strokes, and cardiac arrest are all ways EMS can drive improved outcomes, which drive revenue. Perhaps our area is just less short sighted about EMS.

Here are some Pro's for hospital based EMS:
1. Better equipment than the third services
2. Expansive scope in comparison
3. Nicer med list (it is tough for me to name a medication in my scope I don't have access to)
4. Tight integration in the "feedback" loop; need an outcome on an odd presentation? No problem.
5. Access to jobs in nontraditional areas (EP lab, cath lab, ED, etc)

Really though unless you're asking about a specific area, you can find any model of EMS which works or doesn't work.

The top three is not always the case. I know a city service with better equipment and a broader scope than anywhere else I've seen in the country. And my private service has better equipment, broader protocols, and wider scope than nearly any other service around us, with the exception of the city service I mentioned above
 
If a hospital is losing money on EMS, they don't know what they're doing. STEMI, Strokes, and cardiac arrest are all ways EMS can drive improved outcomes, which drive revenue. Perhaps our area is just less short sighted about EMS.

Here are some Pro's for hospital based EMS:
1. Better equipment than the third services
2. Expansive scope in comparison
3. Nicer med list (it is tough for me to name a medication in my scope I don't have access to)
4. Tight integration in the "feedback" loop; need an outcome on an odd presentation? No problem.
5. Access to jobs in nontraditional areas (EP lab, cath lab, ED, etc)

Really though unless you're asking about a specific area, you can find any model of EMS which works or doesn't work.

I am assuming that is a North Carolina thing? In Texas the Third services have the best equipment, most expansive protocols, best pay and benefits, etc etc.......
 
The top three is not always the case. I know a city service with better equipment and a broader scope than anywhere else I've seen in the country. And my private service has better equipment, broader protocols, and wider scope than nearly any other service around us, with the exception of the city service I mentioned above

I am assuming that is a North Carolina thing? In Texas the Third services have the best equipment, most expansive protocols, best pay and benefits, etc etc.......

Bizarre, never would have thought two services would ever differ ;)
 
I am assuming that is a North Carolina thing? In Texas the Third services have the best equipment, most expansive protocols, best pay and benefits, etc etc.......

speaking of texas i think that could be the next step. an old emt partner of mine told me of austin/travis years ago when i was an emt. it was the first time i ever found out about third service. goggled them, saw their rigs and fell in love. lol. but i heard its next to impossible to get hired. and their multi-step application process sounds like i need to live within reason to make it cost efficient
 
speaking of texas i think that could be the next step. an old emt partner of mine told me of austin/travis years ago when i was an emt. it was the first time i ever found out about third service. goggled them, saw their rigs and fell in love. lol. but i heard its next to impossible to get hired. and their multi-step application process sounds like i need to live within reason to make it cost efficient

If you've been a medic over a year look elsewhere. They'll make you work as a basic until they feel you're ready to promote to medic. There are numerous other third services to apply at
 
There's nothing inherently superior about one model over another. Hospital based EMS isn't very common in Colorado (I can think of five or so services), and while they are all well regarded, there are plenty of other well (or better) thought of services in the state that operate with a different model.

To say that a hospital based service will answer all your EMS dream is fairly useless, just like most broad generalizations.
 
Back
Top