The Rural Health Association of Tennessee (RHAT) announced that Tennessee Emergency Medical Services for Children (TN EMSC) has received RHAT’s 2014 Special Exemplary Project Award. The award, which was presented in November during the Association’s 20th Annual Conference, recognizes an organization or group that has successfully developed a unique program that advances rural health.
“Receiving this award is a testament to the hard work of so many statewide partners,” said Rhonda Phillippi, TN EMSC Executive Director. “I am proud to accept the award on behalf of these partners and look forward to continuing our work with Tennessee’s rural communities.”
With more than 20 years of service to Tennessee, TN EMSC has helped the state to implement exceptional pediatric emergency care in not only emergency departments and children’s hospitals but also in the field. This exceptional care has especially taken hold among rural EMS providers and in community hospitals and emergency rooms in the state’s rural communities.
TN EMSC works closely with these crucial communities, forming partnerships with their EMS agencies and hospitals. Beyond rural communities, they work with a vast network of partners across the state to ensure Tennessee’s hospitals and EMS providers have the training and equipment they need to care for critically ill and injured kids.
These partnerships and their diligent efforts recently put Tennessee in the national spotlight. The National Pediatric Readiness Assessment ranked Tennessee #1 in the nation in the readiness of its emergency departments to care for critically ill or injured children. Tennessee had an impressive median score of 89, while the national median score was 69. Because of the work of TN EMSC and their partners, Tennessee is a leading model of care for children at their time of need.