SPECIAL NEEDS TRACKING AND AWARENESS RESPONSE SYSTEM (S.T.A.R.S)

Marion County Ambulance District would like to inform you of a new program we have implemented that will enable us to be better prepared to take care of special needs children ages 0 - 18 years old should an emergency arise. The Program is titles S.T.A.R.S ( Special Needs Tracking And Awareness Response System). Each Child that is entered into S.T.A.R.S has a form detailing his/hers medical history, medications, allergies, baseline vital signs, baseline neurological status and common medical emergencies that are kept in the ambulances. A number is assigned to each child that matches the form. Should you need to call 911, the caller gives the dispatcher the number which is then relayed to the responding ambulance. Having this information at hand can prove vital, especially when a regular caretaker is not present. Please contact us if you feel your child would be a candidate. Children who especially benefit are those with significant developmental delay, seizure disorders, cardiac history, cerebral shunts, tracheostomy and any atypical disease or syndromes. To enroll your child, a paramedic from Marion County Ambulance District will make an special appointment to come to your home or you may come to the district to discuss your child's needs, fill out the S.T.A.R.S form and answer any questions you may have about our services. At this time, if your child has any anxiety about the ambulance and would like to tour it or see the equipment we carry, he or she is encouraged to do so.
To schedule an appointment, request an application and/or for any other additional questions please click a link below or email us at stars@mcadems.com.
We look foreword to hearing from you!

HOW WILL THE STARS PROGRAM BENEFIT MY CHILD?

The STARS program helps coordinate and coach ambulance districts, fire districts and community hospitals to:

• Recognize the special needs of patients inside their coverage area
• Undergo the appropriate, specialized training to care for these patients’ special medical needs

The goal is to have pertinent patient information in the hands of the medical professionals before they even arrive at the patient’s side. This way they can provide the care needed immediately and skillfully. This ultimately helps decrease anxiety and painful, unnecessary measure and in achieving better outcomes, faster. 
Children who especially benefit are those with:

• Significant developmental delay
• Seizure disorders
• Cardiac history
• In-clinic mental health evaluation
• Cerebral shunts
• Tracheostomies
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Children with a DNR order
• Any atypical disease or syndrome+

S.T.A.R.S Information

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