Regional EMS Authority - Reno, Nevada

REMSA FIRST AND ONLY SYSTEM IN THE NATION TO RECEIVE FULL ACCREDITATION FOR THREE SERVICES FROM INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION

August 14, 2002 – REMSA (Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority) and Care Flight will formally receive official certification from the international Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS), for being recognized as the first and only emergency medical services (EMS) system in the nation to receive full accreditation for three separate services: air critical care transport, ground critical transport and ground advanced life support transport.

“This accreditation is a reflection of the outstanding professionals that make up REMSA and Care Flight,” states Patrick Smith, President of REMSA. “It is an honor to be recognized among almost 100 systems in the international community to receive any type of accreditation and to be the first to receive full accreditation in air and ground critical care transport and ground advanced life support. This recognition supports our commitment to quality patient care and safety in our community.”

CAMTS accreditation board includes representatives from 16 national medical organizations. All members meticulously inspect every aspect of the organization, including patient care and safety, management practices, financial stability and employee relations. In order to obtain accreditation, a medical transport service must complete the following:

100-page self-study program information form that is directly related to the Accreditation Standards
A site visit with two CAMTS board reviewers
Interviews with program personnel and tour site surveyors through key areas and vehicles and aircraft of the organization.

Each Accreditation Standard has measurable criteria to reflect input from all disciplines of the medical profession. The criteria standards include: 18 general, seven rotorwing, eight fixed wing and five ground interfacililty standards. The CAMTS accreditation process involves a comprehensive evaluation of over 210 hours from the CAMTS staff which includes: 40 hours of guidance and assistance, and more than 150 hours of studying the organization’s program, information form submission and completion of the one to four day site visit.

The CAMTS accreditation was originally published in 1991. It was developed through an extensive public comment process and the Accreditation Standards are updated every two – three years. The CAMTS Accreditation Standards address issues of patient care and safety in fixed and rotorwing services as well as interfacility services providing critical care transports. Accreditation is a voluntary process and in order to obtain accreditation, requires a medical transport service be in compliance with the CAMTS Accreditation Standards.

REMSA/Care Flight’s official CAMTS accreditation certification verifies their adherence to quality accreditation standards to themselves, their peers, medical professionals and to the all the communities that they serve in northern Nevada and northern California.

REMSA is a private, not-for-profit emergency medical services system serving northern Nevada and northern California. REMSA’s state of the art 9-1-1 dispatch communications center is internationally accredited, as are all emergency medical transport services of the company. REMSA provides quality patient care with no taxpayer support or other subsidies.