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Improved patient care and EMS service delivery through FDNY EMS quality assurance and investigation Paramedic Joan Hillgardner and EMT Dulce McCorvey have worked for more than 15 years to improve patient care delivery to the citizens of New York City. As OMA personnel, they review how the call is received in Emergency Medical Dispatch; i.e., steps to calm the caller, proper identification of the medical emergency and proper medical instructions before arrival of the ambulance. They review the documented treatment and transport provided by field personnel and also make recommendations for improvements in the EMS system. Currently, both are involved in the computerization of the emergency medical dispatch (EMD) call-taking algorithms. People often assume that the main job of QA/QI (quality assurance/quality investigation) is to point out other people’s mistakes. Paramedic Hillgardner and EMT McCorvey have worked tirelessly over the years to provide a reliable and accurate QA/QI program for the EMS system. Their goal is to make it the best it can be. When they find something wrong, they work to fix it; when they find something right, they work to let everyone know so that the people involved can receive the praise they justly deserve. Both women have been the driving force behind the “Second Chance Brunch” for cardiac arrest survivors for the past decade. Each year, they have identified these survivors, contacted them and listened to their stories and brought them together with the Fire and EMS personnel who helped save their lives. The pair has worked selflessly to allow these survivors to give public recognition and thanks to both the personnel and the system for a job well done. For their accomplishments, Paramedic Joan Hillgardner and EMT Dulce McCorvey are presented with The Fire Commissioner’s Award for Meritorious Service.
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