In 1973, after learning the benefits of rapid stabilization and transport of soldiers in Vietnam and Korea to well-equipped trauma centers, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Act provided federal guidelines and over $300 million in funding to develop regional EMS systems across the United States.
But in the beginning, they didn’t know that children had special needs in emergencies. Once it became clear that they did, four men worked together to sponsor the first Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) legislation, which passed in 1984.
Celebrating 40 years of improving pediatric emergency services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (US DHHS), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) administers the Federal EMS for Children Program (EMSC).
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, manages the program. HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau administers the Federal EMS for Children Program.
For more information about the program – when it was created, why it was established, what it has accomplished, and what it hopes to achieve in the future – consult the EMSC Innovation and Improvement Center (EIIC).
Since its establishment, the EMSC program has provided grant funding to:
Within EMSC are individual state programs— one for each state.
The Minnesota Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMS for Children or EMSC) Program was established in 1996 to help improve the pediatric emergency care infrastructure throughout Minnesota.
EMS for Children is a federally funded statewide collaborative program between Children’s Minnesota and the Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board.
We are dedicated to ensuring that all children and adolescents, no matter where they live or travel in our state, receive the best appropriate care in a health emergency. We accomplish this by promoting optimal care for pediatric acute illness and injury through prevention, advocacy, resources, and education, along with facilitating collaboration among families, EMS, hospitals, leadership, and community organizations.
There are also regional coalitions, such as Heartland EMS for Children Coalition (HECC), which includes: Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas and Midwest EMSC, which includes: Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Kjelsey Polzin
Program Manager, Chair of HECC & Midwest EMSC
Anna DePompolo, MD
Medical Director
Please contact us for more information or if you would like to attend one of our upcoming meetings.
EMSC utilizes an Advisory Committee to advise program activity and meets federal Performance Measure #08.
* Required per EMSC Performance Measure #08