San Mateo County addresses long-standing wheelchair transport gaps in emergency care: No more lost or broken wheelchair
San Mateo County, California – San Mateo County is taking new steps to make sure that those who use specialized or motorized wheelchairs get better emergency medical treatment.
The County’s Emergency Medical Services Agency has put in place new rules to make sure that patients who are sent to the hospital by 911 ambulances don’t lose the equipment they need to move around.
For a lot of people who use wheelchairs, getting to an emergency is really hard. Wheelchairs are frequently big, heavy, and hard to fit into an ambulance. When patients are rushed to the hospital, their wheelchairs can get lost, left behind, or broken.
It can be expensive, take a lot of time, and get in the way of someone’s everyday life and freedom to replace them. County authorities claim that the new strategy directly deals with this problem that has been around for a long time.
The County’s Emergency Medical Care Committee and the Stanford Medicine Alliance for Disability Inclusion and Equity worked together to establish the new policy. They worked together to come up with a clear plan that keeps patients and their wheelchairs connected, even when they need to be moved separately.
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In the new approach, if an emergency ambulance takes a patient who needs a wheelchair to the hospital, either the patient or the first responders can ask for the wheelchair to be taken separately. When asked, either a van from American Medical Response that can fit a wheelchair or a utility vehicle from the South San Francisco Fire Department would pick up the wheelchair and take it to the same hospital where the patient is being treated.
The program is already running in all parts of the county, and healthcare experts and disability groups have given it good reviews thus far. Supporters claim that the strategy not only protects patients’ dignity and safety, but it also lowers stress during medical emergencies, when there is already a lot of uncertainty.
Jody Greenhalgh, a disability advocate and member of the Emergency Medical Care Committee, was a significant player in moving the endeavor forward. Dr. Eric Sibley, a professor of pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, also strongly supported the initiative. He knows what it’s like to deal with the problem himself.
“As someone who uses a power wheelchair, the thought of being separated from it during a medical transport is a daunting one,” said Dr. Sibley. “A wheelchair could be damaged, lost or even stolen. It is reassuring to know that individuals in San Mateo County who use wheelchairs will benefit from this program.”
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County officials say they will continue working with community partners and emergency providers to strengthen services and ensure emergency care is accessible and responsive for all residents.
