A study of the administration of emergency medical services in San Joaquin County : analysis and recommendations

This study examines the administration of emergency medical services (E.M.s.) in San Joaquin County. The analysis proposes to determine whether any serious inadequacies exist with the system as it is administered presently. There were three major sources for this research. The legislations on E.M.S. (federal, state and local), and the writer\u27s personal working participation (as a staff member of the San Joaquin Comprehensive Health Planning Association) in the development of plans in this substantive area, and as a participant observant at the San Joaquin County General Hospital, (with the Social Services Department). The rather limited bibliography on the subject Has consulted and adaptations are made to make this a scholarly exercise. However, because of the nature of the subject, this is an attempt to present a qualitative rather than a quantitative analysis. The discussion is divided in five parts. The first chapter lays out the basic concepts of an Emergency Medical Services System and discusses the most relevant aspects of the federal legislation on E.M.S. and its ramifications on state and local policies. In the second chapter, a policy model is developed, against which the existing system is later tested. This model is based mostly on state (of California) specifications and on the Federal Emergency Medical Service System Act of 1973. The third chapter describes the county from a geographic and socio-economic perspective, and points out emergency medical needs in the county. Chapter four evaluates E.M.S. resources and their use in San Joaquin County, measuring adequacy against the ideal system developed in Chapter two, and identifies problems and states recommendations in each area evaluated. Chapter five discusses methods for future evaluation of the System. The thesis concludes with the writer\u27s personal observations about the system in the county

A study of the administration of emergency medical services in San Joaquin County : analysis and recommendations

This study examines the administration of emergency medical services (E.M.s.) in San Joaquin County. The analysis proposes to determine whether any serious inadequacies exist with the system as it is administered presently. There were three major sources for this research. The legislations on E.M.S. (federal, state and local), and the writer\u27s personal working participation (as a staff member of the San Joaquin Comprehensive Health Planning Association) in the development of plans in this substantive area, and as a participant observant at the San Joaquin County General Hospital, (with the Social Services Department). The rather limited bibliography on the subject Has consulted and adaptations are made to make this a scholarly exercise. However, because of the nature of the subject, this is an attempt to present a qualitative rather than a quantitative analysis. The discussion is divided in five parts. The first chapter lays out the basic concepts of an Emergency Medical Services System and discusses the most relevant aspects of the federal legislation on E.M.S. and its ramifications on state and local policies. In the second chapter, a policy model is developed, against which the existing system is later tested. This model is based mostly on state (of California) specifications and on the Federal Emergency Medical Service System Act of 1973. The third chapter describes the county from a geographic and socio-economic perspective, and points out emergency medical needs in the county. Chapter four evaluates E.M.S. resources and their use in San Joaquin County, measuring adequacy against the ideal system developed in Chapter two, and identifies problems and states recommendations in each area evaluated. Chapter five discusses methods for future evaluation of the System. The thesis concludes with the writer\u27s personal observations about the system in the county