There’s so much happening in healthcare in our region – at times it’s hard to stay updated! Just the Facts will provide you with the latest information about MVHS and the Wynn Hospital. If you want even more insight into what’s happening at MVHS, you can also subscribe to Darlene’s Digest, the weekly newsletter from the MVHS CEO. Click here to subscribe.
TOPIC FOR TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2025
Department Spotlight: EMS
EMS Week is May 18 through May 24, 2025, so this week we’ll take a look at the MVHS EMS Teams and what they do.
Midstate EMS
The Midstate Program Agency plays a central role in supporting the Emergency Medical Services system across Oneida, Madison and Herkimer counties.
Based at 14 Foery Drive in Utica, the team of two employees works daily to assist EMS providers and agencies with a wide range of needs.
They also serve as liaisons for the region’s five hospitals, helping to facilitate communication and coordination between prehospital providers and hospital systems. In addition, they are active participants in the Regional Emergency Medical Advisory Committee and the Regional Emergency Medical Services Council, contributing to the development and implementation of regional EMS policies, protocols and system improvements.
MVHS EMS Education Department
The MVHS EMS Education team strives to provide EMS Educational classes throughout the Midstate EMS Region, which consists of Herkimer, Oneida and Madison counties. Though this is the primary region served, classes are also provided to agencies outside of those counties.
The EMS Education Department has two distinct areas of training:
- NYS EMS Course Sponsor – This is the State-approved Training Center that allows us to teach EMS courses. There are 30 instructors in this program.
- MVHS American Heart Association (AHA) Training Center – This is primarily the Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) trainings and certifications offered across the state, including at the Wynn Hospital and MVHS community sites. There are approximately 294 AHA instructors.
EMS Course Sponsorship provides access to pre-hospital education for all those who desire it at all levels of education, including Certified First Responder, Emergency Medical Technician, Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedic Courses. These include both original and refresher classes. The courses are taught with the philosophy of understanding the pathophysiology of the problems faced in the pre-hospital setting, recognizing pertinent signs and symptoms and confidently implementing proper treatments. We believe that with a true understanding of a problem, a good pre-hospital provider can give the highest standard of care to his or her patients. We strive for excellence in our training program, not only meeting the minimum standards, but also exceeding them. The field of pre-hospital medicine is extremely dynamic. We, as providers, must stay current and up to date with these changes.
As AHA instructors for BLS, ACLS and PALS recertification classes, we provide training to MVHS provides and staff, the residency program at MVHS and the community at large.
How many employees work at MVHS?
The EMS Education Department consists of six MVHS employees and multiple instructors.
Left to right: Robert Paddock, Paramedic Instructor; John Melnick; Jarrod Waulfe; Ryan Ward, EMS Education Coordinator; Erik Merell, EMS Instructor and Paramedic Lab Coordinator; Bill Perry, EMS Administrative Assistant and AHA Training Center Coordinator; and David Paddock, Paramedic Instructor. (Not pictured: Leslie Myers, EMS Instructor and CME Coordinator.)
