Emergency Care
You Can Count On
A
nswering more than 3,600 calls per
year, Woodland Hills Emergency
Medical Service (WHEMS) has
been a pillar in the communities it serves.
WHEMS is a fully licensed Advanced
Life Support (ALS) ambulance service
provided through the PA Department
of Health, and is stationed in Forest
Hills Borough behind the Forest Hills
Police and Fire Departments. With more
than 25 employees who staff three ALS
ambulances, WHEMS serves Forest Hills
Borough, Wilkins Township, Churchill
Borough, Braddock Hills Borough and
Chalfant Borough while providing backup
services for Wilkinsburg, Swissvale,
Edgewood, North Braddock and Penn
Hills boroughs.
WHEMS was formed in 2000 with the
merger of Forest Hills/Chalfant Rescue 8
(FHCR8) and Wilkins/Churchill Rescue
1 (WCR1), both of which were initiated
in the early 1970s. It has been a chartered
501(c)(3) organization since it was formed
and, with this status, the organization
is recognized as a tax exempt charitable
organization. This allows the company to
receive tax-deductible donations from the
public and outside sources for the purchase
of life-saving equipment and medical
supplies, training for its employees and
overall operational expenses. This training,
as well as the equipment and supplies
purchased, has allowed WHEMS to give
back to the communities through CPR
and First Aid training classes and various
safety events while also providing
emergency care.
WHEMS primarily provides emergency
9-1-1 responses for ill and injured patients.
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If a medical emergency takes place or
someone is injured and calls 9-1-1, WHEMS
will be dispatched by the county to the call
in its response areas. Secondarily, WHEMS
will provide non-emergency transport for
residents within the primary response area
on an as-requested, if available, fee-forservice basis.
“WHEMS strives to provide the highest
available level of quality emergency care to
residents throughout the communities it
serves,” says Susan Barry, WHEMS treasurer
and board member. “WHEMS has an ALS
unit on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
365 days a year.”
The organization provides fast, efficient
and highly skilled emergency response with
the benefit of local understanding to its
patients. Additionally, WHEMS participates
in various community events including
community days, church festivals, special
events and holiday gatherings and activities.
Frank Mastandrea is WHEMS’ Director
of Operations and is responsible for carrying
out the day-to-day operations. Mastandrea
has been with WHEMS and Forest Hills
Rescue 8 since 1997 and grew up in the area.
WHEMS employs 12 paramedics and 15
EMTs, most of whom are local residents.
Mastandrea and the other employees
function under the guidance of an
11-member, volunteer Board of Directors
consisting of local residents, municipal
appointed representatives and retired
emergency responders. The board meets
monthly to discuss and review various issues
that arise, financial matters and general
business practices. The current elected
president of the Board of Directors is David
Nicholas, who has been involved with the
WHEMS
provides
emergency
care and
services to
Penn Hills
and
surrounding
area
residents.
BY NICOLE TAFE
organization since the early 1970s as one of
the original organizers of FHCR8.
“With changes in the EMS laws, health
care reform and changes in the insurance
industry, WHEMS has faced a rough
couple of years, as have all emergency
services throughout Pennsylvania,” says
Nicholas. “These changes have resulted
in drastically increased costs and lowered
reimbursement for services provided,
mainly because of the high deductible
plans that most people and employers
had to contract with in order to reduce
cost,” Mastandrea adds. The cutbacks in
Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements
have also affected the group as well as the
rising cost of supplies, fuel, insurances,
vehicles, equipment and salaries — making
it difficult for most services to continue
operation. WHEMS holds a subscription
drive each year to help with these costs,
providing working capital for new
equipment, training of staff, repairs to units
and other business expenses. “It is a great
way for the community to help WHEMS
and its highly skilled staff continue to serve
the community,” says Barry.
Donations to WHEMS are always
welcome and are also tax deductible to
the donor under the organization’s 501(c)
(3) status. WHEMS is also open to inkind donations or pro-bono provision of
services and/or typical business practices
that would generally be provided on a feefor-service basis.
Inquiries about volunteer time and
becoming involved with WHEMS should
be directed to the Director of Operations,
who can be reached at 412.351.9111. For
more information, visit whems.org. n