EMS Teams across the Country: We Appreciate You

EMS Week reminds us that every day, EMS teams go the extra mile for their communities. In rain or shine, on a weekend or holiday, and during a global pandemic, they selflessly ensure their patients receive the highest quality, life-saving care. To all the EMS teams across the country—we truly appreciate you.

Those who work in helping professions, including EMS, have been found to experience higher levels of stress and burnout than in other professions. Factors that play a role, as identified by NAEMT in their 2019 EMS wellness and resilience guide, include:

• Lack of control and support
• Operating in unpredictable and complex situations
• Interactions with patients that evoke strong emotions
• Working in harsh environments
• Receiving limited information, assistance and resources
• Being exposed to physical harm through violence, infectious disease, natural disasters, vehicle crashes and more

This occupational stress can certainly wear on the health of EMS—mental, physical and emotional. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in particular, we understand that the trauma, exhaustion and lack of support, including proper PPE, COVID-19 testing and compensation was sometimes just too much.  

At GD, we are committed to supporting EMS and improving the health and well-being of the public at large through Responsive Innovation. That is, we challenge the status quo with innovative solutions to respond to the evolving needs of our clients and the shifting landscape of the healthcare industry.

Richard Johnson, deputy chief of the Rio Rico Medical and Fire District in Tucson, Arizona, particularly values e-Bridge’s live video feature for the support it gives EMS. “The ability for them to contact a physician and, via the technology, hear the medical recommendation is a great comfort to me as a supervisor, knowing that my personnel are supported to that extent regardless of their location,” he says.

Learn more about how we support EMS and hospital teams with secure, mobile communications and telehealth solutions to help deliver the right care at the right place and the right time here.

About GD (General Devices)

Founded in 1979, GD is a Ridgefield, NJ-based provider of mobile telemedicine and telehealth solutions that help first responders, medical facilities and community paramedicine providers deliver smarter, expedient patient care. Powered by responsive innovation, GD’s user-friendly communications solutions facilitate secure, mobile communications and rapid data sharing across acute and non-acute care teams to help save time—and lives. Backed by a 40-year history and hundreds of implementations, GD is a widely revered industry leader.