Palestine Chamber Magazine 2021 | Page 17

PALESTINECHAMBER . ORG 17
At the head of the crew is EMS Director Matt Davis , who proudly praises his team ’ s quality work .
“ I do believe that we provide the best service possible in Anderson County ,” Davis said . “ We provide care at the highest level that we ’ re capable of .”
Besides preparing equipment , the EMS team crushes arrival times , arriving within 10 minutes or less to 96 % of calls within the city limits . Calls to destinations outside of Palestine occur within 30 minutes 94 % of the time . Anderson County ’ s total area is roughly 1,000 square miles .
“ We will never stop looking for ways to improve response times , because we know that every passing minute may seem like an eternity to the person waiting on our help ,” Davis said .
Yet , response time is only one aspect of quality care . Staff members ’ experience also plays a significant role . One quarter of EMS providers have worked with the department for 10 years or more .
“ These individuals care deeply for this community and they are some of the most compassionate professionals that you are likely to encounter ,” Davis said .
Davis says non-emergency calls are important , too .
While most calls are for medical emergencies or traumatic accidents , dispatchers also frequently receive requests for non-emergency help . That means EMS providers are always ready to respond — without requiring a trip to the hospital .
Many calls are from patients needing help getting into a car to go to a doctor ’ s appointment , or even attaining healthcare services , even though they ’ re not required . Davis said his department helps people free of charge to avoid further medical issues .
“ If someone ’ s not able to get a person into a vehicle to go to a doctor ’ s appointment , we ’ ll drive out to their home to help ,” Davis said . “ If we can help them , we do ; that ’ s not something we charge for .”
Patient education is another priority . EMS teams speak at public events , drive out to people ’ s homes to provide instruction on use of medical equipment , and more , to prevent recurrence of an illness .
“ Many hospital admissions happen because people don ’ t get the care they need , so we try to help ,” Davis said . “ If we have to go out and evaluate someone and they don ’ t board the ambulance , we don ’ t charge them . I don ’ t want people to not call the ambulance because they ’ re worried about the cost .”
For questions about non-emergency services in Anderson County , call Kathy Gannon at 903-731-5377 from 8 a . m . to 5 p . m . during the week . For emergency calls , call 911 .