NATURE COAST EMS OPERATIONS

The Field Operations division includes all field staff deployed on ALS and BLS 911 emergency ambulances. Our ambulances are deployed using a hybrid staffing model including 24-hour shifts and system status unit deployment. The shifts are 12-hour, 16-hour and 24-hour fixed schedules. In addition to ambulances, we deploy a Battalion Chief at all times and a Chief of Operations during business hours M – F. When available, an ALS Paramedic Response Vehicle responds when needed and a paramedic navigator is deployed to assist crews with hospital turn-around times.

All units are equipped with GPS tracking to assure the closest unit responds to calls and mobile data terminals to receive call dispatch information. The patient charting is completed on a Microsoft Surface Pro that is integrated into the Computer Aided Dispatch system.

NCEMS paramedics and EMT’s use an extensive set of Clinical Care Guidelines (Protocols and Standing Orders) approved by the EMS Medical Director. The majority of clinical care guidelines permit standing order medication and skill treatments. NCEMS carries a full complement of ALS gear, Zoll X Series cardiac monitors (12-lead, BP, pulse ox and CO2), C-Pap, IV Pumps, King Airways as a secondary device and military-grade tourniquets.

NCEMS is able to leverage expertise in the field of pre-hospital emergency care to bring enhanced services, more efficient management and cost efficiencies to the emergency services of our partners’ patient base.

Partnerships, such as those developed between Citrus Memorial Hospital and Bayfront Seven Rivers, typically include critical care, emergency and non-emergency patient transportation between facilities.

Emergency medical education is taught on location at our administration building Lecanto, Florida or we can bring the education to your site. Education provided is American Heart Association CPR, ACLS, PALS, AED, state approved and accredited Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedic education.

For more information click here or call 352-249-4751.

Nature Coast EMS, through a quality improvement process, identified that in the area of interfacility transfers of the most critical patients, a higher level of care would benefit these high acuity patients. Locally, when air medical (helicopter) is not available, our Critical Care Paramedic (CCP) Team is the best option for these patients to reach definitive care.

NCEMS was the lead on the development of the minimum curriculum for Florida’s Critical Care Paramedic Program, and has successfully implemented a Critical Care Paramedic Program at Nature Coast EMS that provides the service of “Critical Care without walls” for the interfacility transfer of the sick and injured as well as the high risk obstetrical patients.  The NCEMS Critical Care Paramedic Course is done in collaboration with local hospitals, obstetrical providers, and other partners to offer students the clinical experience that makes the difference.

We designed a curriculum and implemented a program to educate critical care paramedics to better serve patients during complicated long-distance transfers to hospitals.

This protocol development and implementation has been shared with other agencies and this education has resulted in better care for our patients and our community.