Nassau Health Care Corporation Recognizes First Responders during EMS Appreciation Week
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nassau Health Care Corporation
Nassau Health Care Corporation Recognizes First Responders during EMS Appreciation Week
May 20th, 2021
East Meadow, N.Y., May 20th, 2021 – Nassau Health Care Corporation (NHCC), a leading healthcare provider serving Nassau County, Suffolk County, and parts of Queens, recognizes hundreds of EMS first responders serving the community during the pandemic for the 46th annual Emergency Medical Services Appreciation Week.
NHCC is proud to recognize the outstanding EMS first responders of Nassau County’s 6th, 7th, and 9th Battalions and all others who serve on Long Island. We are indebted to the Emergency Medical Technicians, paramedics, and firefighters who ensure our community members receive the highest-level of care and support in times of crisis.
May 16th through May 21st, 2021 marks the 46th annual Emergency Medical Services Appreciation Week in the United States. First responders’ important role in our community is particularly evident this year. Since March 2020, more than 180,000 Nassau County residents have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and 3,159 have died. During this time, EMS personnel have provided life-sustaining emergency care and emotional support to patients and their families, despite the risk to their own health.
Hundreds of first responders comprise Nassau County’s Fire Battalions. Unlike New York City, most of Nassau County’s Emergency Medical Services are staffed entirely by volunteers who respond to an average of 200 to 300 calls per week. This number increased drastically during the first wave of the pandemic.
Nassau University Medical Center’s EMS Liaison, Dr. John Zaso, recalls first responders’ unflinching resolve during those first months when call volumes and at-home fatalities were high. Despite long days spent in full Personal Protective Equipment, following rigorous decontamination protocols, and handling true medical emergencies (both related and unrelated to COVID), the team of first responders supported patients, family members, and each other. Dr. Zaso states, “Our EMS ran through the danger, not from it. They did what they had to do to take care of their community.”
The 6th, 7th, and 9th Battalions, among others, bring patients to Nassau University Medical Center’s Emergency Department. NUMC’s Emergency Department provides critical care to approximately 75,000 individuals a year through the Emergency Room. As a Level 1 Trauma Center, NUMC houses several superior medical teams to care for individuals suffering from severe injury, including traumatic burns, strokes, orthopedic accidents, and psychiatric crises. They are the only Emergency Department in Nassau County to feature separate units for Emergency Psychiatric and Pediatric care. They also operate the region’s only burn unit and hyperbaric chamber to treat firefighters and other first responders.
NHCC will honor first responders this week with cake, meals, and personalized gifts in the dedicated EMS Lounge at NUMC. We would like to voice our sincere appreciation for all you have done and continue to do for Long Island’s communities in their hour of need. Thank you and happy EMS Appreciation Week from NHCC!
CONTACTS:
Niki Jones Agency
njones@nikijones.com
(P): 845-856-1266
(F): 845-856-1268