Emergency Health Services
Encyclopedia
Emergency Health Services (also EHS) is an agency of the Department of Health in the Canadian
province of Nova Scotia
.
All ground ambulance and air ambulance service in Nova Scotia is contracted by EHS to EMC Emergency Medical Care Inc., a subsidiary of Medavie EMS Inc. which is itself a subsidiary of Medavie Blue Cross
.
EHS is responsible for administering Nova Scotia's pre-hospital emergency health services, which is delivered by EMC through 150 ground ambulances and their support facilities, one helicopter
and one fixed-wing aircraft, and approximately 900 paramedic
s.
EHS owns all ground ambulances and support facilities which are operated under contract by EMC. Many ground ambulance support facilities are co-located with municipal fire stations in smaller rural communities, while having customized paramedic stations in larger centres. Every hospital in the province and many community health centres have helipads for LifeFlight
air ambulance service.
EMC operates a central communications dispatch centre in Burnside Business Park in Dartmouth
for coordinating emergency medical services across the province.
services. The level of medical care, staff qualifications and type and condition of ambulances and supplies varied throughout the province. Most medical air transportation was provided by the Canadian Forces
' 413 Transport and Rescue Squadron
operating out of CFB Summerside
(1968-1990) and CFB Greenwood
(1990-present). 413 Squadron used search and rescue aircraft such as the CH-113 Labrador
helicopter as well as the CC-115 Buffalo and later the CC-130 Hercules fixed wing aircraft to deliver aid to the civil power missions.
In 1993, Cape Breton Island
native Dr. Ron Stewart, who was instrumental in organizing emergency health services in southern California earlier in his career during the 1970s, was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
and was appointed the Minister of Health. Dr. Stewart quickly commissioned several reports on health care reform, one of which was conducted by Mike Murphy, the director of emergency services at the Isaac Walton Killam Children's Hospital
which offered a comprehensive evaluation on the state of the province's ambulances.
The recommendations of the Murphy Report were subsequently adopted and by 1994 the transformation of Nova Scotia's health care system began, with the provincial government taking over control of ground ambulance operations and consolidating it into a single entity called Emergency Health Services.
From 1994 until 1999 the contract for ground ambulance service for EHS had been placed with the Ambulance Operators Association of Nova Scotia (AOANS), which had originally represented the private services taken over by the provincial government. This contract with AOANS was not renewed and was instead awarded under a long-term performance based contract to EMC Emergency Medical Care Inc. (EMC), a subsidiary of Medavie EMS Inc. which is a holding company within the Medavie Blue Cross group of companies.
, Nova Scotia
. This fleet is procured by the Government of Nova Scotia
and managed and operated under contract by EMC Emergency Medical Care Inc. There are 65 strategically located ambulance bases throughout the province, some of which are owned by EHS, others are rented by EMC (eg. volunteer fire departments). EMC operates a central communications dispatch centre in Burnside Business Park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia for coordinating emergency medical services across the province.
(CHC) and the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society
(STARS). STARS operated the service until 2001 when it opted not to renew its agreement with EHS, citing philosophical diffences over management and fundraising. EHS operated air ambulance service directly under the new name "LifeFlight" and awarded a long-term operating contract for this service to EMC Emergency Medical Care Inc. in 2008.
program that trains people to give advanced first aid, including oxygen administration and early defibrillation
, and provide relevant medical information to paramedics before they arrive. Dominated by the volunteer fire services, trained people are certified as Medical First Responders (MFR)'s.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
.
All ground ambulance and air ambulance service in Nova Scotia is contracted by EHS to EMC Emergency Medical Care Inc., a subsidiary of Medavie EMS Inc. which is itself a subsidiary of Medavie Blue Cross
Medavie Blue Cross
Medavie Blue Cross is the business name for Medavie Incorporated, a non-profit Canadian medical care insurance company headquartered in Moncton, New Brunswick....
.
EHS is responsible for administering Nova Scotia's pre-hospital emergency health services, which is delivered by EMC through 150 ground ambulances and their support facilities, one helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
and one fixed-wing aircraft, and approximately 900 paramedic
Paramedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
s.
EHS owns all ground ambulances and support facilities which are operated under contract by EMC. Many ground ambulance support facilities are co-located with municipal fire stations in smaller rural communities, while having customized paramedic stations in larger centres. Every hospital in the province and many community health centres have helipads for LifeFlight
LifeFlight
LifeFlight is an air ambulance service that operates in the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.It is delivered under contract to the Government of Nova Scotia's Department of Health by EMC Emergency Care Inc.. EMC Emergency Medical Care Inc...
air ambulance service.
EMC operates a central communications dispatch centre in Burnside Business Park in Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Dartmouth founded in 1750, is a community and planning area of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour, Dartmouth has been nicknamed the City of Lakes after the large number of lakes located in the city.On April 1, 1996, the provincial...
for coordinating emergency medical services across the province.
History
Prior to 1995, Nova Scotia relied on approximately 50 private and public ambulance operators to provide emergency medical care; some were companies also involved in delivering funeralFuneral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
services. The level of medical care, staff qualifications and type and condition of ambulances and supplies varied throughout the province. Most medical air transportation was provided by the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces Air Command
The Royal Canadian Air Force , formerly Canadian Forces Air Command, is one of three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
' 413 Transport and Rescue Squadron
No. 413 Squadron RCAF
413 Transport and Rescue Squadron is an air force squadron of the Canadian Forces. It was originally a flying boat squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War...
operating out of CFB Summerside
CFB Summerside
Canadian Forces Base Summerside was an air force base located in St. Eleanors, Prince Edward Island, Canada, now part of the city of Summerside.-RCAF Station Summerside:...
(1968-1990) and CFB Greenwood
CFB Greenwood
Canadian Forces Base Greenwood , commonly referred to as "14 Wing Greenwood" or CFB Greenwood, is a Canadian Forces Base located in Greenwood, Nova Scotia. It is primarily operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is one of two bases in the country using the CP-140 Aurora...
(1990-present). 413 Squadron used search and rescue aircraft such as the CH-113 Labrador
CH-113 Labrador
|-See also:-External links:* * * *...
helicopter as well as the CC-115 Buffalo and later the CC-130 Hercules fixed wing aircraft to deliver aid to the civil power missions.
In 1993, Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
native Dr. Ron Stewart, who was instrumental in organizing emergency health services in southern California earlier in his career during the 1970s, was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
Nova Scotia House of Assembly
The Nova Scotia Legislature, consisting of Her Majesty The Queen represented by the Lieutenant Governor and the House of Assembly, is the legislative branch of the provincial government of Nova Scotia, Canada...
and was appointed the Minister of Health. Dr. Stewart quickly commissioned several reports on health care reform, one of which was conducted by Mike Murphy, the director of emergency services at the Isaac Walton Killam Children's Hospital
IWK Health Centre
The IWK Health Centre is a hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia that provides care to women, children, and youth from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.-Location:The IWK Health Centre is located in the south end of Halifax...
which offered a comprehensive evaluation on the state of the province's ambulances.
The recommendations of the Murphy Report were subsequently adopted and by 1994 the transformation of Nova Scotia's health care system began, with the provincial government taking over control of ground ambulance operations and consolidating it into a single entity called Emergency Health Services.
From 1994 until 1999 the contract for ground ambulance service for EHS had been placed with the Ambulance Operators Association of Nova Scotia (AOANS), which had originally represented the private services taken over by the provincial government. This contract with AOANS was not renewed and was instead awarded under a long-term performance based contract to EMC Emergency Medical Care Inc. (EMC), a subsidiary of Medavie EMS Inc. which is a holding company within the Medavie Blue Cross group of companies.
Ground ambulance services
EHS leases 150 ambulances procured through Tri-Star Industries of YarmouthYarmouth, Nova Scotia
Yarmouth is a town and fishing port located on the Gulf of Maine in rural southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Yarmouth County. The town is located in the heart of the world's largest lobster fishing grounds and has Canada's highest lobster catch.- History :The townsite may...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. This fleet is procured by the Government of Nova Scotia
Government of Nova Scotia
The Government of Nova Scotia refers to the provincial government of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....
and managed and operated under contract by EMC Emergency Medical Care Inc. There are 65 strategically located ambulance bases throughout the province, some of which are owned by EHS, others are rented by EMC (eg. volunteer fire departments). EMC operates a central communications dispatch centre in Burnside Business Park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia for coordinating emergency medical services across the province.
LifeFlight
EHS initiated air ambulance service for Nova Scotia in 1994 in partnership with CHC Helicopter CorporationCHC Helicopter
CHC Helicopter is one of the world’s largest helicopter services company specializing in: Transportation to offshore oil and gas platforms; Civilian search and rescue services; Helicopter maintenance repair and overhaul...
(CHC) and the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society
Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society
The Alberta Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society was formed in Calgary, Alberta to provide emergency medical care and transport to the critically ill and injured...
(STARS). STARS operated the service until 2001 when it opted not to renew its agreement with EHS, citing philosophical diffences over management and fundraising. EHS operated air ambulance service directly under the new name "LifeFlight" and awarded a long-term operating contract for this service to EMC Emergency Medical Care Inc. in 2008.
Atlantic Health Training and Simulation Centre
The Atlantic Health Training and Simulation Centre is a training facility for emergency medical services personnel such as paramedics.Medical first response program
The medical first response program is a volunteer mostly ruralRural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
program that trains people to give advanced first aid, including oxygen administration and early defibrillation
Defibrillation
Defibrillation is a common treatment for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia. Defibrillation consists of delivering a therapeutic dose of electrical energy to the affected heart with a device called a defibrillator...
, and provide relevant medical information to paramedics before they arrive. Dominated by the volunteer fire services, trained people are certified as Medical First Responders (MFR)'s.
Nova Scotia trauma program
The Trauma program is to facilitate optimal trauma care by providing education, research leadership in injury prevention and control and trauma system development.EHS facts
- All paramedics in Nova Scotia are employed by EMC Emergency Medical Care and are members of the International Union of Operating EngineersInternational Union of Operating EngineersThe International Union of Operating Engineers is a trade union within the AFL-CIO representing primarily construction workers who work as heavy equipment operators, mechanics, surveyors, and stationary engineers who maintain heating and other systems in buildings and industrial complexes, in the...
, Local 727 - All dispatchers are employed by EMC Emergency Medical Care and are members of the Canadian Union of Postal WorkersCanadian Union of Postal WorkersThe Canadian Union of Postal Workers or CUPW is a public sector trade union representing postal workers employed at Canada Post as well as private sector workers outside Canada Post.-Activities:...
http://www.cupw.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/4893/la_id/1.htm - There is no fee for being transported by air ambulance for residents of Nova Scotia.
- The ground ambulance fee can range from $120 to $600 depending on the call. If a person has no insurance to cover the fee a monthly payment as low as $5.00 without interest can be paid.