Tidewater EMS Council

Latest News

Board Adopts Revised Regional EMS Plan

The new Tidewater strategic regional EMS plan represents the "big picture" and helps guide the Board of Directors, committees and staff into areas which need improvement or require new council involvement over a multi-year period. The plan was adopted by the Board of Directors on March 19, 2015 following a period of public and EMS community review and input, plus recommendations by the Board's Governance Committee. The EMS community and others are encouraged to download and read the new plan TEMS Strategic Plan 2015-2018 Rev 3-19-2015.

Construction Cam Keeps Watch Over New Shore Memorial Hospital

A new 52-bed hospital serving Virginia's Eastern Shore is under construction. The relocation of Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital from Nassawadox will result in a 136,000-square-foot hospital between Onley and Onancock built from the ground up. In addition to the main hospital, the total project includes a new cancer center and a physician office building. Site preparation is in progress and anyone interested can watch as construction moves forward by visiting the hospital's construction webpage at http://www.riversideonline.com/shore/new/construction.cfm

Infectious Diseases Section Added to Website

We have added a dedicated infectious diseases information section to our website. The section includes a direct link to the CDC Health Alert Network as well as links to official Ebola, enterovirus and pandemic flu information. See the "Infectious Diseases" link on our menu to the left. EMS Providers are reminded to be sure to ask patients with fever about recent travel.

Portsmouth's Amy Ward Receives Governor's EMS Award

Amy L. Ward, a career paramedic with Portsmouth Fire, EMS and Emergency Services was awarded the 2014 Governor’s EMS Award for Outstanding Prehospital Provider. For more than 18 years, Amy Ward has provided outstanding and dedicated service to the system through her involvement in all facets of EMS at the local and regional level. Ward has worked tirelessly to improve EMS services in her agency, Portsmouth Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services, as well as in the Tidewater region.

EMS Clarification of Governors Savings Plan

Governor McAuliffe's FY 2015 Savings Plan, Pursuant to Item 471.10 of HB 5010 was released to the public on October 15. The Virginia Department of Health's budget reduction includes the following language within the Governor's Plan:

Capture balance from the Emergency Medical Services Fund. This strategy transfers balances in the Special Emergency Medical Services Fund to the General Fund. The loss of this revenue is not expected to have a direct impact on agency services or operations. This amount is $4,000,000.

The $4,000,000 capture of EMS funds identified in Governor McAuliffe's FY 2015 Savings Plan does not impact the $4.25 that currently supports EMS services and operations in Virginia.