MedStar To Limit Non-Patient Passengers On Ambulances

From the City of Fort Worth:

Posted March 17, 2020

As part of continuing efforts to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses, MedStar is changing its normal policy that allows non-patient passengers to ride in the ambulance with a patient.

Historically, MedStar has allowed family members and friends to ride along in the ambulance with a patient to the hospital. Effective March 17, MedStar is instructing field staff to discourage non-medical personnel from riding in the ambulance with patients who the field providers feel may have a contagious illness.

This will help limit exposure of non-patients to contagions in a confined space (such as ambulances) and also preserve the limited supply of personal protective equipment for emergency personnel.

“Please understand we are doing this out of an abundance of caution during the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Matt Zavadksy, MedStar spokesperson. “Once the current crisis has passed, we plan to resume our normal procedures of allowing family and friends to ride in the ambulance with the patient.”

This press release was produced by the City of Fort Worth. The views expressed here are the author’s own.