EMS providers are a compassionate lot. Whether career or volunteer, private or fire, we care about our patients and take ownership for the care we deliver. It’s one of our greatest attributes, one that I am especially proud to be affiliated with.
Our acts of compassion are not limited to emergency care; sometimes the greatest good we do is in the realm of preventing tragedies in the first place, or providing services that are small in execution, but large in impact.
American Medical Response was recently recognized for its Sentimental Journey program. Providing comfortable transportation to terminally ill patients as part of fulfilling a wish is seemingly a small contribution, but without it, it would leave that wish unfilled.
Moreover, the compassion and empathy provided by the crews goes a long way in providing comfort to a family that is struggling to remain strong during a terrible time in their lives. At that level, there’s little difference in the emergency setting and this one; we help to provide the space that allows patients and families to feel safe and be taken care of, even if it’s only for a short time.
Opportunities like this exist in your community. Seek them out and try to understand what value you can bring to your community. I’ll bet it’s less expensive than providing 911 service, easy to provide, and feels good too.
