Systems of Care Information
One of the ways to measure the quality of an Emergency Medical Services system is by evaluating how well it cares for its most critically ill or injured patients. This includes patients who have experienced cardiac arrest, heart attacks, strokes, or significant trauma.
The Alameda County Health, Emergency Medical Services Agency (Alameda County EMS) is proud to lead one of the most clinically progressive systems in the Country, promoting and continually advancing the delivery of excellent care to its patients. Follow the links below to learn more about our specialty systems developed to care for critically ill or injured patients.
One of the most important parts of improving outcomes for Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) patients is by collecting data and then analyzing it. Doing this allows us to discover where we are doing well, what areas we need to improve, and which interventions that we employ are the most effective.
For more information on our management of cardiac arrest patients, please contact Specialty Systems of Care Coordinator.
Cardiac Arrest
Each year in Alameda County, EMS services respond to approximately 160,000 calls for service and about 1,200 of those calls for service are for Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). Although this represents a fairly small portion of our overall call volume, this group of patients is considered the most critically ill. One of the top priorities of Alameda County EMS has been to improve the survival rates in our County for SCA events. We utilize a systems-based approach where we work to link all the various elements of our EMS system together to improve the outcomes of SCA patients. Read below to learn more about each of the elements that we use to ensure the best possible outcomes for this subgroup of patients.
Communication Centers
The utilization of the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) allows the dispatchers in Alameda County to work with 911 callers to quickly determine if a patient is suffering from SCA and thereafter provide them with instructions on performing CPR. This is critical because multiple studies have shown that when bystander CPR is performed, patients have the best chance of having a positive outcome. Learn More about Cardiac Arrest.
To learn more about our Communication Centers and their usage of MPDS, visit our EMS System Page
PulsePoint
Many jurisdictions in Alameda County utilize the PulsePoint mobile application. This application empowers our residents or visitors who are trained in CPR to be notified when they are nearby a reported SCA, so that they can potentially begin performing high-quality CPR.
To learn more about the PulsePoint Application, follow this link: PulsePoint Application
Automated External Defibrillators (AED) and Public Access Defibrillators
For a number of years, Alameda County EMS has been registering AEDs located in Alameda County and, as of 2016, there are well over 2,000 AED’s located throughout the County. Why is AED registration important when it comes to SCA events? When an AED is registered with us, it allows us to notify our communication centers of the presence and location of each AED, which in turn can be utilized by dispatchers to direct bystanders to the nearest AED.
Visit the EMS AED / PAD program to learn more.
Mechanical CPR Devices
While some of our First Responder Agencies were utilizing the Zoll Autopulse mechanical CPR device in 2011, Physio-Control’s LUCAS Device was deployed county-wide in November 2011.
Mechanical CPR provides consistent, sustained chest compressions to SCA patients and allows our field providers to focus on the provision of other critical interventions.
To learn more about these devices and how they impact the management of SCA patients, follow the links below:
LUCAS Chest Compression System
ZOLL AutoPulse Resuscitation System
Vascular Access
Obtaining vascular access can be an important part of successful resuscitation efforts. Venous access has been the traditional means of access for many decades, but can sometimes be difficult to perform, especially in the out-of-hospital setting. Since 2006, Alameda County has been utilizing intraosseous vascular access via the proximal tibial tuberosity and added the humeral head as an access site in 2017. Our ALS Providers typically utilize the EZ-IO vascular access system. This system allows vascular access to be obtained in a matter of seconds and medications/fluids to be delivered to the heart in a matter of seconds as well.
Learn more about the EZ-IO System.
Impedance Threshold Device (ITD)
In 2009, we introduced the ResQPOD Impedance Threshold Device into our treatment algorithm for SCA. This device improves blood flow to the brain and other vital organs during cardiac arrest, enhancing the outcome of SCA events.
Learn more about the ResQPOD device.
STEMI / CRC
Since SCA is frequently secondary to the patient having a ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction or STEMI, our current protocols require that any patient being transported after an SCA event will be transported to one of our seven STEMI Centers. This enables medical staff at those facilities to potentially treat the underlying cause of the SCA event through emergent cardiac catheterization.
Heart Attacks / STEMI
In Alameda County, approximately 800 patients experience a specific type of serious heart attack, known as a ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). Over the past several years, we have helped make radical changes in the recognition and treatment of these patients and this is something that we are very proud of. Read the information below to learn more about the measures we have taken to improve care of these patients.
Stroke
Every year the Alameda County EMS System cares for approximately 1,500 patients that have experienced a stroke, which is also known as a Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA).
Trauma
Approximately 5,700 patients who have sustained significant trauma are transported every year to trauma centers in Alameda County. Alameda County EMS has taken many steps over the years to analyze and implement approaches to improve outcomes for these patients. Learn more about our approaches below.
For questions or more information about our Speciality Systems of Care, please email Michael Jacobs, our Speciality Systems of Care Coordinator, at michael.jacobs@acgov.org.