‘Gold standard’: Ambulance services based in McCandless, Ross earn national accreditation

McCandless Franklin Park Ambulance Authority and Ross/West View Emergency Medical Services Authority have earned national accreditation.

To celebrate, MFPAA will host an open house at noon May 19 at the authority’s Station No. 1, 9925 Grubbs Road, McCandless, and Ross/West View EMSA is planning one for 6 p.m. May 22 at its headquarters, 5325 Perrysville Ave. Each of the events is being held during National EMS week, May 19-25.

Both authorities were recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services, an independent agency that establishes a comprehensive series of standards for the industry, according to its website.

They pursued accreditation as a means of ensuring the residents and municipal officials each serves are being provided the “absolute best medical care by an agency who clearly demonstrates excellence in all aspects of the operation,” MFPAA Chief Christopher Dell said.

“It’s the gold standard of the ambulance industry,” he said. “It’s everything that you as a consumer want to know that your ambulance service is doing perfectly.”

The accreditation included a comprehensive self-assessment and independent external review of the organization. Only 182 agencies nationwide were CAAS-accredited as of April, out of 14,000 ambulance organizations in the country.

In Pennsylvania, just four other ambulance services are accredited: Tri-Community South EMS in Bethel Park, Centre LifeLink EMS Inc. in State College, Cumberland Goodwill EMS in Carlisle and Lancaster EMS, according to an April list on www.caas.org.

The yearlong accreditation process includes inspections by the CAAS team and performing extensive off-site and on-site reviews of procedures, policies, facilities, equipment, ambulance fleet and personnel.

The initial CAAS application had more than 1,200 documents for submission. A two-day, on-site inspection had a checklist of 1,000 items.

The CAAS reviewers focused on patients receiving first-rate medical care, response times, efficient management practices, safety and training for continuous quality improvement, according to Dell.

The reviewers also worked directly with the MFPAA and Ross/West View medical directors, Dr. Alan Shapiro and Dr. Adam Frisch of UPMC, and Dr. Chadd Nesbit of AHN.

Receiving the accreditation ensures patients that an ambulance company has a high standard of quality of care, said Sarah McEntee, CAAS executive director.

“Achieving accreditation signifies that an agency adheres to best practices and delivers care that meets national standards,” she said.

Accreditation encourages agencies to continuously evaluate and improve their operations, and helps agencies minimize risks and enhance safety for both patients and EMS professionals. The recognition helps ensure that agencies are compliant with applicable laws and regulations, and it also can prepare agencies for other regulatory evaluations and inspections, McEntee said.

“Overall, CAAS accreditation is a mark of professional excellence in the ambulance service industry, indicating that an agency has met rigorous standards and is dedicated to continuous improvement,” she said.

MFPAA staff members were excited to assist with the process.

“This was a true team effort. Now that we have accomplished the goal, we look to further improve upon our processes to be even better in the future,” Dell said. “They really just got into it. I’ve been blessed to work with such a great team.”

Greg Porter, Ross/West View executive director, said the accreditation encourages the ambulance team to continue to strive for excellence.

“Ross/West View EMSA is excited to have achieved CAAS Accreditation because it helps us hold ourselves accountable and to a higher standard,” Porter said. “CAAS will help us prepare for future challenges in the EMS industry, improve our business and administrative practices,improve patient care; improve customer service, improve communications with our communities, and lastly will be improved grant eligibility.”

The Ross/West View open house will have car seat safety inspections, CPR Classes, medical and rescue demonstrations, and more, Porter said.

MFPAA serves McCandless, Franklin Park, Bradford Woods, Marshall and Pine. In addition to the municipalities for which it is named, Ross/West View serves Millvale Borough and Reserve and Ohio townships.