Emergency Medical Services
 The
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department operates
as a Level III Trauma Center. It provides 24-hour physician
covered acute and urgent care to regional residents.
Staffing includes registered nurses, paramedics, emergency
technicians, and unit secretaries. The service's primary
response area is Wapello County, but Ottumwa Regional
Mobile Intensive Care Services, (ORMICS) provides mutual
aid and tiered response upon request to any regional
service program.
Support services are readily available to assist in
the treatment of patients. Standards of care and guidelines
are utilized in patient care, based on recommendations
and guidelines from the Emergency Nurse's Association,
and the American College of Emergency Physicians.
All patients are offered an emergency medical screening
examination. In addition, their physiological, psychological,
social and spiritual needs are assessed and a specific
plan of care is developed to meet their individual needs.
The Health Center does not offer critical therapeutic
services in the specialized clinical areas of spinal
cord injury, burns, neurological trauma, or cardiovascular
surgery. Patients requiring these services are provided
with initial treatment and stabilization. Provisions
are made for patient transfer to another appropriate
facility as necessary by ORMICS ground ambulance transport,
or helicopter service as outlined by EMTALA regulations.
A helipad for flight services is maintained on the Health
Center grounds. A minimum of two ambulances out of the
Health Center's four are staffed at all times through
on-duty and on-call paramedic staffing.
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