Accepting the award Derek Ball, LIFE FORCE 1 Clinical Base Supervisor; Curtis Fowler, Operations Director; Robbie Tester, LF Administrator; Deborah Cox, State of Tennessee EMS Consultant, Region 3; Johnny Hale, CQI Coordinator; Jim Fox, LIFE FORCE Business Development Manager; and Stacy Prater, LIFE FORCE Clinical Educator.
Erlanger’s LIFE FORCE air medical program recently received the Southeastern EMS Director’s Association Service of the Year award for the program’s outstanding emergency medical services for patient care.
The LIFE FORCE program operates four helicopters and services four states. Accredited by the commission for medical transport since 2011, LIFE FORCE is nationally ranked as one of the highest performing air medical services in the country. It is the only air ambulance program in the region that carries ultrasound, blood and plasma and is credentialed by physicians at Erlanger to perform emergency surgical procedures. All LIFE FORCE flight nurses and paramedics have board certification in critical care transport. LIFE FORCE is one of only 5% of the programs in the country that has achieved this standard.
This is the second year the organization has hosted an awards banquet for its members. It is held in conjunction with the annual Southeastern Emergency Services Director’s Association Conference, which is one of the largest area conferences for first responders and presents educational seminars to emergency medical services personnel from around the region.
Southeastern EMS Director's Association consists of 11 southeastern Tennessee EMS agencies and provides quality EMS leadership through cooperative service interaction by combining progressive education and thorough information to direct regional EMS providers forward into tomorrow’s healthcare field.