Ambulance Services

Emergency Coverage for Baxter and Marion Counties

In 1974, the newly established basic ambulance service at Baxter Regional consisted of two ambulances and a crew of eight. Of the crew, half were emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and half were laymen who served as ambulance drivers. The team responded to 804 calls that year. As the hospital’s service-area population continued to grow, so did the need for expanded pre-hospital care.

In 1985, Baxter Regional’s ambulance service became the first full-service paramedic operation in the North Central Arkansas region. Our ambulance service consists of emergency medical dispatchers (EMDs), EMTs and paramedics. Our ambulances cover all of Baxter and Marion counties, which include approximately 1,120 square miles of land and water. We also serve Izard, Fulton and Searcy counties in Arkansas and Ozark County in Missouri with mutual aid response when requested.

Highly Trained Emergency Experts

Because Baxter Regional is a paramedic service, our emergency medical staff is continually receiving training in the latest emergency medical treatments.

Some training courses include:

• Basic Life Support (CPR)
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
• Basic Trauma Life Support (BTLS)
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)

In addition, staff also attend a 48-hour refresher course every two years for paramedic recertification by the Arkansas Department of Health and participate in a variety of seminars and practice exercises.

Help Us Help You When Requesting an Ambulance

The most important thing to do is to remain on the phone and let the dispatcher hang up first. If the patient has any change in his or her condition, you can tell the dispatcher and he/she can immediately relay it to the ambulance crew en-route.

Make sure you are prepared with the following in the event of an emergency:

• Provide the phone number you are calling from, in case the call is disconnected.
• Have a precise set of directions written down by your home phone to tell the dispatcher exactly how to get to your location from the hospital.
• Be prepared to tell the dispatcher the patient’s primary medical complaint when you call, such as chest pain or trouble breathing. This information helps the dispatcher determine if the situation is an emergency or nonemergency.
• Have a written list of the patient’s medical history, current medications and dosages. Emergency personnel can obtain records from the Baxter Regional health information department, but this takes time and may not include recent medications.

We sincerely offer our thanks to area fire and police departments, who continually provide outstanding support in emergency patient care. We greatly appreciate the help!