Prehospital care and the community hospital as a base station

In Maryland's coordinated, regionalized emergency medical system, prehospital care is given to an injured or ill person at home, on the street, or in a doctor's office before the patient is transported to a hospital. Prehospital care of patients has advanced significantly since the federal government passed emergency medical service (EMS) legislation in 1966. In Maryland there are several functioning levels of prehospital care providers who perform skills unique to their particular environment and training. It is reasonable for all hospitals operating a full-service Emergency Department to consider becoming base stations for consultation to prehospital care providers bringing patients to that hospital. This is well within the province of the Emergency Medicine specialist and will provide improved service to patients.