San Mateo County Emergency Medical Services Introduces New Resources for Safe Wheelchair Transport in 911 Ambulances

San Mateo - San Mateo County's Emergency Medical Services Agency has strengthened practices to ensure that people who use specialized or motorized wheelchairs are reunited with their equipment after being transported by 911 system ambulances.

The policy, developed with input from the County's Emergency Medical Care Committee and the Stanford Medicine Alliance for Disability Inclusion and Equity, addresses a challenge in many emergency medical response systems. Patients transported by ambulance can become separated from their wheelchairs, which are heavy, difficult to secure inside an ambulance, costly to replace if lost, and necessary for their mobility.

Under the enhanced approach, when a patient who depends on a wheelchair is transported to a hospital by emergency ambulance, the patient or first responders may request that the wheelchair be transported separately to the same hospital. A wheelchair-accessible van operated by American Medical Response (AMR) or a utility vehicle from the South San Francisco Fire Department will be dispatched to collect the wheelchair and deliver it to the hospital where the patient is being treated.

The new pathway is already in effect, and healthcare leaders and disability advocates say it can serve as a model for other counties across California and the nation.

The effort was championed by disability advocate Jody Greenhalgh, a member of the Emergency Medical Care Committee, and supported by Dr. Eric Sibley, a professor of pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine.

"As someone who uses a power wheelchair, the thought of being separated from it during a medical transport is a daunting one," said Dr. Sibley. "A wheelchair could be damaged, lost or even stolen. It is reassuring to know that individuals in San Mateo County who use wheelchairs will benefit from this program."

San Mateo County Emergency Medical Services continues to work closely with community partners and 911 providers to improve emergency services for everyone in the county.

Faizus Amin
Public Information Officer
San Mateo County Health
650-867-1661
[email protected]