Richmond Ambulance Authority Named Finalist for the 2011 Virginia Healthcare Innovators Awards in Patient Care

The Richmond Ambulance Authority (RAA) has been selected as one of five finalists, out of 29 organizations nominated, for the Virginia Healthcare Innovators Awards in Patient Care – More than 250 Employees category.   RAA is the only EMS organization in the state of Virginia nominated for this award which recognizes Virginia organizations that have developed innovative ways to improve healthcare quality and efficiency.   In addition to Richmond Ambulance Authority, the other finalists are: Bon Secours Virginia Health System – Virginia Stroke Center Network, Grafton School, Inc., Thomas Johns Cancer Hospital – CJW Medical Center, and VCU Health System – VCU Pauley Heart Center.

“We are honored to be among the finalists from such a broad field of highly respected healthcare organizations and appreciate the recognition of our efforts to provide world-class EMS service to the citizens of Richmond,” said Chip Decker, CEO of the Richmond Ambulance Authority.  “Innovation is key to Richmond Ambulance Authority’s success in achieving rapid response times and clinical excellence which has helped us reach our ultimate goal of saving more lives.”

In describing the first annual Virginia Healthcare Innovators (VAHCI) Awards, the VAHCI website says:
In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare environment, improving the quality and caliber of care and the efficiency of healthcare delivery is more important than ever. The Virginia Healthcare Innovators Awards honor Virginia organizations/entities that have developed innovative ways to improve quality and/or efficiency. Awards will be given to organizations/entities that have developed breakthrough products, processes or services with the potential to revolutionize healthcare in Virginia.

RAA’s global reputation as an innovator in EMS stems from its exceptional response times and clinical excellence in the field.  Once on scene, RAA medics deliver world-class EMS using leading edge equipment such AutoPulse, a mechanical CPR device, and sophisticated treatments such as administering cold saline intravenously to cardiac arrest patients during ongoing resuscitation to induce therapeutic hypothermia.  This procedure rapidly cools the body to preserve neurological function and this in-field cooling, followed by sophisticated in-hospital post-resuscitation care, allows 40 percent of these aggressively cooled, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients to be discharged neurologically intact.  The national average is six percent.

Other innovative steps taken by RAA include the successful implementation of an Electronic Patient Record System which has eliminated paper run reports completely.  These new electronic patient care reports provide detailed reports to receiving facilities as well as a wealth of data from which new evidence-based clinical practice will evolve.

The finalists and winner of each category of the Virginia Healthcare Innovators Awards will be recognized at an awards ceremony to be held at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens from 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29.  For more information on the awards and complete list of nominees, visit www.virginiahealthcareinnovators.org.

Click to view the article from EMS World Magazine About the Richmond Ambulance Authority
In 1991, the Richmond City Council and the City Manager implemented an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system that placed the patient first and guaranteed its performance to the City's residents.  Today, the Richmond Ambulance Authority responds to approximately 135 calls per day and transports, on average, 110 patients per day.  RAA’s emergency response times are among the fastest in the nation with ambulances on the scene of life threatening emergencies in less than 8 minutes and 59 seconds in more than 90% of all responses.  RAA is one of only 11 EMS agencies in the United States accredited by both the Commission on the Accreditation of Ambulance Services and the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch.  RAA is also a Commonwealth of Virginia Accredited Dispatch Center.