Williamson Medical Designated Ambulance Provider for Spring Hill

Williamson Medical
photo from Williamson Medical Facebook

Williamson Medical Center Emergency Medical Services (“EMS”) has been designated as the primary provider of emergency ambulance services for the city of Spring Hill, Tennessee. The resolution outlining the five-year interlocal agreement was approved by vote at the Spring Hill Board of Mayor and Alderman meeting Tuesday, February 18.

“Williamson Medical Center EMS is proud to have been selected to provide ambulance services for the City of Spring Hill,” said Julie Miller, Chief Operating Officer at Williamson Medical Center. “This collaborative partnership, strengthened by continual capital and operational investments by Williamson County Government and Williamson Medical Center, will ensure the provision of a high-quality and reliable EMS system for the citizens of Spring Hill.”

Williamson Medical Center proposed a partnership between local governments as an alternative solution to the contract for service defined in the city’s Request for Proposal for ambulance services provided in November. The approved agreement, requiring no additional subsidies from the city, expands the service area of Williamson Medical Center EMS to include Spring Hill. The award-winning Advanced Life Support EMS system already provides ambulance services in all other Williamson County municipalities.

The effective date of the partnership is officially July 1, 2020, however, Williamson Medical Center EMS has agreed to work with the city to assist in coverage of services throughout the transition between the current private provider’s contract expiration on February 29 and the new partnership start date.

Williamson Medical Center EMS has been providing emergency medical services and related aid through a comprehensive county EMS systems approach since 1972. The system is the first and only 9-1-1 ground EMS provider in Tennessee and one of four systems across the country authorized through a pilot project to carry and administer pre-hospital blood products. Williamson Medical Center EMS is a three-time recipient of the annual “Star of Life” award for Tennessee EMS Region Five, is a multi-year recipient of the American Heart Association: Mission Lifeline recognition, and was most recently named the Tennessee Ambulance Service Association 2020 ALS Service of the Year.

Williamson Medical Center EMS will add two additional staffed and fully equipped Advanced Life Support ambulances and an additional supervisor per shift to the fleet of vehicles available to service Spring Hill. The ambulances are equipped with emergency medical equipment including video laryngoscopes, IV pumps for enhanced medication dosing safety, temperature-controlled medication cabinets and specialized IV fluid coolers needed for Hypothermic Therapy. Ambulances are also equipped to safely and securely transport balloon pumps for transferring patients from Cardiac Cath Labs to tertiary care facilities and feature advanced communications equipment including cellular routers, Automatic Vehicle Location and a Mobile Data Computer connected to Williamson County’s Emergency Communications Center and Williamson Medical Center’s emergency department for real-time information exchange. The new ambulances will be stationed in Spring Hill.

The Williamson County Emergency Communication Center provides nationally recognized emergency medical dispatch services for Williamson Medical Center EMS. The emergency medical dispatch is approved by the Medical Director, a practicing Williamson Medical Center emergency room physician board certified in emergency medicine with direct involvement in practices, protocols, training and quality assurance related to clinical care.

Williamson Medical Center EMS will also support the city’s emergency preparedness efforts, providing the coordination of Ambulance Strike Teams in Southern TN EMS Region Five. The system’s additional deployable assets including a Multi-Casualty Incident Trailer, Ambulance Strike Team Support Trailer, Ambulance Strike Team Supervisor/Command/Tow Vehicle and Special Event Trailer are also available as needed.

Other community services to be provided will include the provision of the Emergency Medical Service portion of the Williamson County Emergency Plan, participation in the Local Emergency Planning Committee for the county, Sports Medic assignments to each Williamson County High School, tactical paramedics assigned to County SWAT and Water Rescue Teams and the availability of Tactical Emergency Casualty Care response and training.

For more information about Williamson Medical Center EMS, visit: https://williamsonmedicalcenter.org/emergency-services