Skip to content

Emergency Medical Service for Children

The National Emergency Medical Services for Children Program – Mission Statement

Illustration of an EMS polar bear helping children The Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) program is designed to reduce the child and youth mortality and morbidity sustained due to severe illness and injury. It aims to ensure state of the art emergency medical care is available; to ensure that pediatric services are well integrated into an emergency medical services (EMS) system originally designed for adults; and to ensure that the entire spectrum of emergency services, including primary prevention of illness and injury, acute care, and rehabilitation is provided to children and adolescents as well as adults.

With the implementation of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), public sector agencies are increasingly being held accountable for achieving outcomes. GPRA focuses on a results-oriented approach, requiring federal agencies to develop performance measures that inform and guide organizational decisions and communicate to a broad constituency about the their success.

The purpose of the EMSC Program performance measures is to document activities and accomplishments of the Program in improving the delivery of emergency services to children. Additionally, information from the measures will provide guidance to the Program on future areas for improvement.

Alaska is a State EMSC Partnership Grantee and required to address and collect data on the performance measures selected by the federal program.

What is the Alaska EMSC Program?

The program resides in the EMS Unit of the Section of Emergency Programs, Division of Public Health, Department of Health and Social Services. The Alaska EMSC Program is designed to enhance the pediatric capabilities of the current system originally designed for adults. Alaska first became a grantee with the National EMSC program in the early 1990’s and has been a grantee since. EMSC has maintained a strong presence in Alaska over the years.

EMSC Advisory Group

The EMSC Advisory Committee has become a “Subcommittee” under Alaska Council of Emergency Medical Services (ACEMS), during its 2008 fall meeting by passing a motion in Anchorage. The committee meets at least four times a year.

The Alaska EMSC advisory committee membership currently includes:

  • Mark Johnson, MPA
    Chair/Family Representative
  • B J Coopes, MD, FAAP, FCCM, FWMS
    Pediatric Intensivist/Medical Director, Pediatric Critical Care, The Children’s Hospital at Providence Alaska Medical Center
  • Calle A. Gonzales, MD, MPH, FAAP, FCCM
    Pediatric Intensivist/Alaska Native Medical Center
  • Sue Hecks, EMTIII
    Executive Director, Southern Region EMS Council, Inc.
  • Danita Koehler, MD
    ACEMS Representative
  • Dennis Murray
    Alaska State Hospital & Nursing Home Association
  • Brian Reiselbara, MICP
    Paramedic
  • Patty Williams, RN
    Emergency Room Nurse
  • Ken Zafren, MD, FAAEM, FACEP, FAWM
    EMS Medical Director, State of Alaska
  • Vacant
    State of Alaska Staff
    Program Manager/Principal Investigator

EMSC Downloads

EMSC Public Service Announcement

Check out the new Emergency Medical Services for Children public service announcement (PSA).

View PSA video icon