Southern Chester County Emergency Medical Services/MEDIC 94 (SCCEMS/MEDIC 94) recently received $50,000 in state funding to support the purchase of new Philips Tempus ALS Cardiac Monitor defibrillators for its licensed paramedic units. The funding was secured by state Sen. Carolyn Comitta.

The funding helped the nonprofit organization reach its goal in its capital campaign to make needed equipment upgrades to all its paramedic units.

Comitta, who serves on the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, said the investments come at a critical time as residents, families and communities in southern Chester County face the impacts of Tower Health's decision to close Jennersville Hospital.

The new monitors will expand the pre-hospital scope of care that first responders can provide while en route to emergency rooms. They offer a combination of diagnostic tools that can communicate vital patient information directly to emergency rooms via a secure, real-time data stream. This complete end-to-end system allows emergency departments to better prepare for rapid treatment, with the goal of patient outcomes.

SCCEMS/MEDIC 94 updated and replaced its cardiac monitor defibrillators, which are nearing the end of their 15-year lifespan, through funding and support from the community, businesses, and municipalities, as well as the state. It is estimated that the monitors will be used an average of eight times per day, every day for the next 15 years, meaning nearly 44,000 patients will be treated with the Tempus ALS over its lifespan.

Comitta noted that she, along with county officials and the state legislative delegation, will continue to work toward a long-term solution for Jennersville and Brandywine hospitals and the many residents and families who rely on them.

MEDIC 94 is a regional advanced life support (ALS) service operated by Southern Chester County Emergency Medical Services Inc., a nonprofit organization founded in 1983 to provide ALS services across southern Chester County. This goal is accomplished through partnerships with fire company-based ambulance services in Oxford, West Grove, and Avondale, and EMS in Cochranville.

To learn more about SCCEMS/MEDIC 94, visit http://www.medic94.org.