Lansing, MI - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer this week is honoring Michigan’s dedicated emergency medical services (EMS) personnel by proclaiming May 21-27 as Michigan EMS Recognition Week.
“Michigan EMS heroes are a lifeline to our communities, serving our residents when they need it most,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). “We owe these heroic first responders so much appreciation this week during EMS Week and all year round.”
EMS providers stand ready day or night to help residents in need of help. They provide critical pre-hospital care to Michiganders in both emergencies and other health care situations including preventative medicine, follow-up care, other transportation needs and more. The efforts of EMS heroes help improve the survival and recovery rates of people who experience sudden illness or injury.
“Michigan’s EMS practitioners take great pride in providing lifesaving pre-hospital care to residents in need,” said Jason MacDonald, president of the Michigan Association of Ambulance Services and vice president at Medstar Ambulance. “We stand ready to serve Michiganders in-need and encourage others to consider serving their communities by working in EMS.”
Michigan is home to 29,035 EMS providers, 800 life support agencies and more than 4,000 licensed life support vehicles, according to the MDHHS Division of EMS and Trauma within the Bureau of Emergency Preparedness, EMS and Systems of Care. For more information, visit Michigan.gov/ems