National EMS Week is May 19-25, 2013

This year’s theme is “EMS: One Mission. One Team.”

Wednesday, May 22 is Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Day.

National Emergency Medical Services Week brings together local communities and medical personnel to publicize safety and honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of medicine’s “front line.”

During National Emergency Medical Services Week, we recognize the tremendous role that EMS practitioners make to improve health in communities across the nation. The around-the-clock dedication to providing emergency care is evident with one statistic: more than 36 million patients were cared for by EMS professionals in 2011 alone.

Emergency care professionals are committed to delivering emergency medical care in the community. They strive for seamless care, from the field to the hospital emergency department or trauma center. Their commitment to ensuring that patients receive the best medical care available, anytime and anywhere, is instrumental to advancing the health, safety, and well-being of the American people. EMS is an essential part of building a resilient health care system that functions efficiently and effectively every day and is capable of responding to disasters and public health emergencies.

Our efforts at the federal level are all aimed at supporting the men and women on the front lines of the health care system—the EMTs, paramedics, dispatchers, nurses, physicians, researchers, educators, administrators, and supervisors who come together to provide the best possible care when personal, community, or national tragedy strikes.