Outpatients:

• All patients that present to Emergency will be triaged by the CTAS scoring system and the on-call doctor will be notified.
• During business hours for the medical clinic, the patient may be instructed to go there.
• Nurisng Coverage of the emergency room is provided by nursing staff from the acute care / long-term care unit.

Medical Support for Emergency Room Physicians and Nurses

• Emergency room personnel working the Vulcan Community Health Centre have access to two critical care resources – STARS (Shock Trauma Shock Trauma Rescue Society) Air Ambulance and RAAPID (Referral, Access, Advice, Placement, Information, Designation)

STARS

• STARS is the specially trained team of doctor, nurse, and paramedics who dispatch helicopters or fixed wing aircraft to rural of Alberta areas to assist with critical patient transfers.

RAAPID

• RAAPID is the central call line for southern Alberta to access specialists and tertiary care.
• RAAPID will find an available bed in the city for critical transfers and will facilitate telephone consults with Calgary-based specialists. The doctor must call the number and give the information to the triage nurse. She will then find a bed in the appropriate facility and call you back with the transfer information.
• Contact information for STARS and RAAPID can be found near the telephones in the trauma room, emergency room nurses station, and the main nursing station.

Alberta Health Services – Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

• Emergency Medical Services is more than a transport service for patients – it is a critical clinical service. In an emergency situation, treatment begins as soon as the EMS team arrives and continues until the patient can be cared for in a medical facility
• Alberta Health Services EMS coverage in the Vulcan area is described as Advanced Life Support Service with a paramedic on duty 24/
• Advanced Life Support ambulances are able to respond to more complex medical situations with a staff of at least one paramedic with expanded training and scope of practice and more life saving equipment on board.