Student Health considers ambulances

If someone is hurt in Philadelphia, it usually takes 20 minutes for city ambulances to arrive. But Student Health Services Director MarJeanne Collins hopes the University will eventually have its own ambulance corps to provide emergency transit for its 30,000-person community. Such a service could cut response times down to a few minutes. "HUP has all the technology you could need, but it could be half an hour before you reach there," said Collins. Although University ambulances are only in the planning stages, Collins said students have been interested in setting up such an ambulance corps. Each vehicle would be equipped with state-of-the-art technology such as a defibulator to provide electric shocks to restart someone's heart. Collins said Escort Service has a set route which passes HUP, but "they aren't really eager to carry sick people." College senior Ken Tercyak, Chairman of the Student Health Advisory Board, said his committee is very concerned with emergency transportation. Tercyak said although an ambulance corps seems "far off in the future," there are other transportation needs which should be dealt with, including security concerns and the "long walk from the high rises." "We are glad to know Student Health is working on these issues," Tercyak said. Other plans under discussion include the possibility of a prevention van to expand the Student Health outreach programs. Student Health features its "Health Express," an outreach health fair which goes to fraternities, sororities and dormitories to administer cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and eye examinations. "Health Express is our traveling roadshow," Collins said. Another idea is the hiring of a "greeter" to take students through the University health care system. However, all such plans are limited by the amount of available funds.

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