By David Fleet
Editor
Atlas Twp. — Medstar, the preferred ambulance service for township and village 911 calls announced earlier this month its sixth consecutive zero deficiency accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services or CAAS.
In the fall of 2021 both the township board of trustees and Village of Goodrich approve a three-year agreement with Medstar for preferred ambulance service for 911 calls. The township joined Richfield and Davison townships along with the City of Davison and others with similar agreements from Medstar.
“This recognition is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our team, all of whom continuously strive to provide the most clinically advanced and compassionate care for those who entrust us with their lives.” said Kolby Miller, Medstar chief executive officer.
Medstar has played a significant role in provided emergency medical service to the community after years of slow response times. For the period from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023, Medstar made 426 responses of those 216 requiring the use of red lights and sirens.
CAAS is a national non-profit standards organization led by representatives from the American Ambulance Association, Emergency Nurses Association, International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, National Association of EMS Physicians, and the National Association of State EMS Directors, dedicated to ensuring EMS agencies meet rigorous clinical quality and safety standards.
According to a Medstar’s report issued earlier this year, emergency response time for Atlas Township was 8:16 minutes and non-emergency response time was 11:32 minutes. The service agreements are based on a response time reliability threshold of 8 minutes, 59 seconds, which is the national standard for EMS performance agreements. The 8:59 threshold generally produces between four to six minute average response times, according to Medstar.
In comparison, in 2021, prior to Medstar arriving, Genesee County 911 provided a two-year response time study. According to the report, of 32 communities Atlas Township had the 28th slowest response time, while the Village of Goodrich was 31st.
“Achieving a zero-deficiency accreditation for 18 consecutive years from CAAS demonstrates the depth to which the standards define our patient care and safety standards, as well as our overall operating structure,” added Miller