Union County Ambulance has a new tool to help improve the care of patients and protect the emergency service providers.
The ambulance service has added a fourth power cot thanks to a 50/50 matching grant of around $7,500 from the risk management services group known as IPMG.
Ambulance service director Grant Capel.
"The advantage with the power cot is that with the touch of a button, which is electric, battery operated with hydraulics, we can lift as much as about 700 lbs. with the touch of a button. That's hoping to save on the back, on the job, type injuries for the employees."
With 11 full-time and six part-time workers, Capel says he can't afford to lose anyone to injury.
"We're keeping everybody healthy and on the job. That's the goal here, to make sure we protect the patient and the employee and I think it's a better service all the way around for the patrons that we serve."
Capel says the power cot also allows EMS staff to secure equipment they used to have to carry, such as a cardiac monitor, IV fluids and oxygen bottles.
He says this is part of the growth his department is experiencing through the Southern Illinois Regional EMS System. This includes new medications and equipment to help bring more immediate care to patients in the ambulance before they even arrive at the hospital.
