FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 19, 2021
Contact for Media: Bob Hotchkiss
610-842-1690
Medic 94 Launches Campaign to Raise $180,000 to Replace Aging Cardiac Monitors
— Non-profit paramedic unit serves 17 municipalities in southern Chester County –
— Funds will purchase four state-of-the art cardiac monitors used on 2,700 911-calls annually –
— Modern Tempus ALS units are 11 pounds lighter and will deliver a higher standard of care –
May 19, 2021 — West Grove, PA — Medic 94, a paramedic unit serving southern Chester County, today launched a critical fundraising effort to replace it’s 14-year old cardiac monitors which have reached “end of life.” Medic 94 officially announced its special 2021 Capital Campaign at a press event held at its station located near West Grove that featured speakers including previous patients.
Medic 94 is an advanced life support (ALS) paramedic unit operating from two stations in Jennersville and Avondale in southern Chester County. Paramedics are sent to the most serious 911 calls, for things like heart attacks, shortness of breath, and trauma. Cardiac monitor/defibrillators are the most critical pieces of equipment used by paramedics in patient evaluation and treatment. Medic 94’s current models are 14 years old and have reached end of life — all four are no longer able to be factory-serviced, get software updates, and do not meet new mandates from the PA Department of Health.
At today’s event, Medic 94 announced that it has selected its new cardiac monitor / defibrillators: the Tempus ALS by Philips. With a unique combination of monitor and defibrillator devices that can be used separately or together as needed, the Tempus ALS is already proven in the field for prehospital ALS. As these units will be in service at Medic 94 for the next 15 years, the Tempus ALS was chosen because it is future proof through its ability to be upgraded as the practice of prehospital medicine continues to evolve. Medic 94 said each of the new monitors and associated equipment would cost $45,000.00.
“The residents and visitors to Chester County deserve nothing short of the best, so we’ve chosen the very best monitor / defibrillators for our paramedics to treat patients and improve outcomes,” said Robert A. Hotchkiss, Jr., CEO and EMS Chief, Medic 94. “Considering that these monitors will get used an average of eight times each day, every day for the next 15 years, that means nearly 44,000 patients will be treated by these monitors during their service life – that’s an approximate cost of less than $4.00 per patient from now until 2035 and beyond. By any measure, this is a prudent and smart investment.”
The Tempus ALS monitors will immediately raise the bar for Medic 94 to improve outcomes for patients. Medic 94 paramedics will now be able to transmit 15-lead diagnostic cardiac ECGs (electrocardiograms) to the receiving hospital before arrival, letting the ER prepare for early and rapid treatment. New capabilities mean medics can use video laryngoscopes to improve intubation success, combined with modern capnography that enables continuous monitoring of patient breathing. And the Tempus ALS system is delivered ready for next-generation treatment like prehospital ultrasound, when anticipated new Department of Health regulations are released. And, for paramedics, the Tempus ALS is 64 percent lighter to carry – just 6 pounds down from 17, while having a smaller footprint and a more user-friendly operation.
“We need the assistance of our entire community to reach our fundraising goal for the new monitors,” said Harold Walls, Chairperson and Community Representative, Medic 94 Board of Directors. “The valuable life-saving care provided by MEDIC 94 paramedics 24/7/365 is something that all of our residents and business owners depend upon, but we need their help to continue to provide the best service possible. We’d ask everyone to consider a donation – no matter how small or large – to support this necessary investment which will serve southern Chester County for years to come.”
Deploying state of the art equipment and progressive ALS techniques are at the core of why Medic 94 is admired across Pennsylvania. In 2017, Medic 94 was named as the Commonwealth’s ALS Provider of the Year. In 2019, Medic 94 was awarded the Pennsylvania Cares Award that acknowledges the organization’s dedication to collecting pre-hospital cardiac arrest data for quality improvement purposes. The organization’s paramedics are regularly recognized in Chester County for their patient care, and Medic 94 is often consulted by other EMS services for its cooperative operating and leadership model with area fire companies and municipalities.
About Medic 94’s Operating Model
Medic 94 is operated by Southern Chester County Emergency Medical Services, Inc. (SCCEMS), a non-profit founded in 1983 specifically provide the very best pre-hospital advanced life support at the lowest cost possible. Across southern Chester County, from Oxford to Kennett Square, from Cochranville to Landenberg Medic 94 responds to emergencies in 17 municipalities, covering 220 square miles, and provides ALS for 75,000 residents all day, every day – 24 X 7 X 365 with two paramedic trucks based in Jennersville and Avondale. The southern Chester County community is a mixture of residents who have private insurance, Medicare insurance, Medicaid insurance, or no insurance at all. The funds received from insurance only covers about 1/3 of the Medic 94 annual budget. To cover the balance of the annual operating budgetof $1.2 million, Medic 94 aggressively pursues federal, state, and local grants; conducts annual fundraising activities; and receives invaluable support from municipalities. Those efforts cover operations but cannot also support an investment of $180,000 for new cardiac monitors / defibrillators.
Medic 94 operates in a in strong partnership with local fire-company based ambulance services from fire departments in Oxford, West Grove and Avondale. Medic 94 employs the “paramedic intercept” method, which dispatches paramedics to the scene only for medical emergencies where ALS is likely needed. For Chester County, only one third of medical dispatches need a paramedic and the balance are handled by very capable basic life support EMTs who staff the fire department ambulances. When needed, Medic 94 paramedics join with the patient for all transports to the hospital which are handled by the local fire company ambulance. That partnership extends beyond operations into management, as the SCCEMS board of directors is made up of fire company representatives, township officials, and community members.
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