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Board approves Lifepak modem purchase so ambulances can transmit EKGs to hospitals
Summary
Supervisors approved a sole‑source purchase of Lifepak modems and access cables to allow the county’s Lifepak monitors to transmit patient data to regional hospitals; county EMS leaders said the modems are necessary because local laptops could not link reliably to the new monitors.
The Board of Supervisors approved a sole‑source procurement for Lifepak modems and access cables for the county’s new Lifepak monitors after Chief Balderson told the board the monitors cannot reliably transmit patient data through the department’s laptop setup.
What was approved: The purchase will buy modems and access port cables that allow the Lifepak 35 monitors to send 12‑lead cardiac data directly to receiving hospitals in the Richmond metro region and to electronically transmit the data to on‑call cardiologists and emergency physicians.
Why it matters: Chief Balderson said the modems will let emergency medical technicians and paramedics transmit real‑time cardiac monitor information so hospital clinicians can advise prehospital care and direct patients to the most appropriate receiving facility. "This technology will help drive our treatment modalities and potentially save lives," Balderson said during the meeting.
Procurement and funding: The item was presented as a sole‑source procurement; the board approved the purchase by motion and voice vote in open session. Funding will come from the emergency services equipment line item. The chief said the department previously used modems on Lifepak 15 monitors and had hoped to use laptop integrations for the Lifepak 35, but testing showed the laptop link did not meet operational needs.
Next steps: The EMS leadership and county staff will complete the purchase and deploy the modems on the three new monitors already placed in service. The board’s approval included support for operational integration with receiving hospitals and EMS IT staff.
