EMS at Prisma Health

Doing the same stuff in the emergency department, but at 55 miles per hour.  Prehospital medicine is now the largest subspecialty under the house of emergency medicine and encompasses the basic life support of the emergency medicine responders (EMRs) and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) along with the advanced life support of the paramedics, critical care paramedics and air medical services.   The Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson metropolitan authority has over ¾ of million individuals that have a significant need for medical attention.   The unscheduled medical calls from chest pain and cardiac arrests to childbirth and motor vehicle collisions keep the prehospital providers active.  We even provide house calls through the community paramedics.

It is all part of the curriculum

Education in prehospital medicine is a longitudinal process for the emergency medicine residents.  We have an unusual advantage in that this education starts with our medical students here at the USC School of Medicine Greenville where all students undergo emergency medical technician (EMT) training.  The integral part of the emergency medicine residency for the residents is not limited to but includes in the field experience of riding in the back of the ambulance, education of the prehospital providers which includes the annual Swamp Rabbit Trail EMS conference, performing base station online medical control at Greenville Memorial Hospital, and participating in disaster preparedness drills and mass casualty incidents such as our recent active shooter training.  In November the residents will participate in the EMS and Fire field experience which will encompass the use of the jaws of life during vehicle extrication, fire ground education on the use of the fire hose, as well education on patient extraction, packaging and transport with the ems providers.  

And the growth continues

The division of prehospital medicine is a fast-paced group of individuals that have a lot of experience with EMS and disaster medicine.   Currently we have several that are subspecialty boarded in emergency medical services with more to come.  The growth and opportunity in prehospital medicine is endless as we see the residency program grow.

Reach out to the GME EMS Medical Director

For those that would like more information on the prehospital medicine for the residency please contact Daniel Schwerin at daniel.schwerin@prismahealth.org.