What to consider for your event
Q: Why do I need to have on-site medical coverage for our event?
A: Many attendees have invested significant time, effort, and money to attend your event. You and your staff want to put together the best show possible.
Having a dedicated first aid group at your event allows early evaluation and treatment at the event, so that they can quickly return to having fun!
If your attendee or staff member needs to go to hospital for further treatment or evaluation, we can help in determining the best way to get there – by private vehicle or by ambulance, advise them of the closest appropriate facility to seek treatment, since many attendees may not be from the area, and continue to care for the person until they go by car or we hand-off the person to the ambulance crew.
Q: Why can’t I just call 911?
A: Unless you have a dedicated ambulance on site for your event, that ambulance will be dispatched from another location to your location. Busy EMS systems have varying response times, and even with the best response times, the arriving crew may not be familiar with your convention layout, which adds to time it takes to reach a person who needs help. Sometimes minutes count!
There is an advantage to having medical staff on location to quickly arrive, assess, treat, and decide whether the person can be safely treated at the event and released, or requires further evaluation, treatment and transport to a hospital.
We carry many of the same equipment most ambulances carry, including bandaging and splinting supplies, oxygen, and Automatic External Defibrillators, medications to treat allergic reactions and over the counter medications such as Tylenol and Motrin.
Some treatments we offer usually require transport to the hospital, and we are excited to offer this as an alternative to having find an urgent care or Emergency Department to get treatment.
If there is a need to transfer care to an ambulance crew, we can facilitate a smooth transfer of care, often transporting the person to a predetermined area to meet the ambulance crew, and advocate for the person in a time of uncertainty and stress.
Q: Why don’t I just get an ambulance for the event?
A: Having an ambulance on-site reduces the time it takes for a person to be transported to the hospital for people who need to go. But it can get expensive. We love working with EMS crews at events, since a lot of us work in EMS or have EMS backgrounds. We often invite crews to our tent/room, taking meals together and inevitably swapping 'war stories' and often discovering we know the same people in EMS. A great working relationship with all the different crews at shows makes it fun and a better experience for all!
However, contracting an ambulance crew to stand by at your show is not the same as having a staffed first aid room or tent. Having a dedicated first aid room/tent allows for people who are treated to return and be reevaluated at any time, be seen by the same staff, and have continuity of care that would not be possible with an ambulance crew. This is especially true for multi-day events, when people can come back to the first aid room and have repeat evaluations.
When requested, we can provide a physician on site, to treat such conditions as asthma attacks, minor lacerations requiring sutures, eye foreign bodies, vomiting and dehydration.
Our volunteers are the same people who attend your events, and it absolutely helps to know that the person helping your attendee is also a part of the community.
Q: Okay, you convinced me that I need event medical coverage. But why should I use your group?
A: What makes us different from other first aid groups:
Medical director:
We are the only physician-led event medical group in Massachusetts . Dr. Tae Kim is an emergency physician licensed to practice medicine in Massachusetts. He has an interest in event medicine, which is an emerging subspecialty of emergency medicine. Prior to becoming a physician, Tae was a paramedic with 14 years of experience in busy 911 systems. He oversees the treatment protocols and provides expert oversight to the group as well as be on-hand at shows when requested to provide enhanced services. He also took additional training from the American Academy of Event Medicine and is certified to provide event medical services.
Medical devices such as Automatic External Defibrillators, oxygen, naloxone (Narcan) and epinephrine (Epi-pen) require a prescription from a licensed physician to use, and AEDs require a medical director to assure proper usage. These medical devices and treatments should be provided under the authority and supervision of a licensed physician to ensure best practices.
Advanced medical treatments:
Because there is a licensed physician on staff, medical treatments such as nebulizers for asthma attacks, anti-nausea pills, IV fluids for dehydration, can be offered when operating in Massachusetts. Dr. Kim can also act as the 'house' or 'show' physician, and offer discreet medical evaluation and treatment for your performers and VIPs arriving from out of state.
CORI screening:
We are the only event medical group that screens all members using the CORI system. We care about the safety of your attendees and staff, and screen all of our volunteers using the Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) database, which provides a record of all criminal court appearances in Massachusetts, including arrests, convictions, dismissals, and serious violations.
Mental Health First Aid:
Experience at other events has shown that providing mental health first aid on site can have a great impact on people having a crisis. Early support and intervention at the event can determine whether a simple conversation and some rest will be enough to get a person back on their feet, or whether they need further evaluation and treatment at the hospital.
High minimum training requirement:
All of our staff are trained to the EMT-B level, which is the minimum certification to staff an ambulance. They are trained to handle many emergency conditions. However, we also have members who are Paramedics, Registered Nurses, and advanced level providers such as Physician Associates, Nurse Practitioners, making our team pretty flexible.
Cost:
We want to deliver the highest quality care at a cost that is reasonable and affordable. We would be happy to provide a quote for services tailored to your shows specific needs. Enhanced coverage, multi-day, large attendance, or around-the-clock coverage will cost more, but we are always happy to find something that works for you. Contact us!
