Update

National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week will be celebrated this year from May 21 through May 27.

Emergency Medical Services field responders can be volunteers or career employees.  They include:

• Emergency medical responders like volunteer firefighters.  These responders have at least 80 hours of training.  They can assess patients, provide CPR, and can bandage or splint an injury.
• Emergency medical technicians have at least 150 hours of training.  EMTs can perform the duties of an emergency medical responder and can give aspirin, epinephrine, or assist a patient with their own prescribed medications.
• Paramedics have at least 2500 hours of training.  Under the order of the county medical program director, paramedics can give 40 different types of medications.  They can also intubate a patient to open an airway.

Upper Kittitas County has a mix of volunteers and career employees.  Those who work for Upper Kittitas County Medic One are paid staff members, and each ambulance has at least one paramedic on board to provide advanced life support.  Advanced life support includes 12-lead EKG monitoring to identify heart attacks and transmit information to the hospital before arrival, intubation to assist with breathing, and the ability to provide certain medications.

In 2016, Upper Kittitas County Medic One responded to 1,219 calls for service and transported 766 patients.

Please join Kittitas County Public Hospital District No. 2 in thanking the volunteer and career first responders of Kittitas County during National EMS Week.

Commissioners for Kittitas County Public Hospital District No. 2 voted to appoint Julie Petersen as the interim superintendent for the district during their regularly scheduled monthly meeting on July 18, 2016.

The action was taken immediately after commissioners introduced a resolution to remove Catherine Bambrick from the role.  Historically, the hospital district has contracted with Kittitas Valley Healthcare for the superintendent role.  Ms. Bambrick left her position as the Chief Operating Officer for KVH on July 11, necessitating the appointment of a new superintendent. 

“The appointment of Ms. Petersen will allow us to continue with our critical work in evolving and improving our local emergency medical services system,” said Floyd Rogalski, President for the hospital district Board of Commissioners.  “We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with Hospital District 1 in the provision of emergency medical services, urgent care, and primary care to local citizens.  We look forward to continuing that relationship.”

The district will consider the appointment of a permanent superintendent in the coming months. 

National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week will be celebrated this year from May 15 through May 21.

Most EMS staff in Kittitas County are unpaid first responders or emergency medical technicians who volunteer for Basic Life Support organizations.  In Upper Kittitas County, the only Advanced Life Support organization is Upper Kittitas County Medic One.  Advanced Life Support organizations have a paramedic ready to respond to life-threatening emergencies at all times.  Paramedics have the highest level of training among emergency responders.

“The response provided by EMS can be critical to the survival of patients who experience a medical emergency,” said Floyd Rogalski, President of the Board of Commissioners for Kittitas County Public Hospital District No. 2.  “Our residents showed their strong support of our EMS responders in February 2016, and we thank them for their support.”

In February 2016, voters of Kittitas County Public Hospital District No. 2 approved a permanent property tax levy for emergency medical services (EMS) of 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.  This levy supports the operation of Upper Kittitas County Medic One ambulance services, including staff, ambulances, supplies, and facilities in upper Kittitas County.  User fees pay for less than half of the cost to operate the ambulance service.  The rest is covered by the EMS levy.

Please join Kittitas County Public Hospital District No. 2 in thanking the volunteer and career first responders of Kittitas County during National EMS Week.