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By Mike Barnhardt

Enterprise Record

If you have a heart attack or stroke in Davie County, consider yourself lucky.

The emergency medical service department here, Davie EMS, is among the best in the nation.

Dr. Darrell Nelson, Davie EMS medical director since 2013, told county commissioners last month that the public may be getting the wrong impression about patient care because of changes in leadership, which created “some bumps in the road.”

“I’m concerned with some of the comments that have been made about EMS. It makes me worry that the public may have a somewhat waning confidence or worry about the quality of care that EMS may deliver,” he said, adding that Davie is fully staffed and trained and dedicated to saving lives.

“There’s been no negative impact in patient care over this past year. Yes, we’ve had some leadership changes and that always creates a vacuum and causes some bumps in the road, but I think we’re going to move through that nicely.”

Nelson said that in 2013, there was one cardiac survivor out of 34 events. Now, Davie ranks twice higher than the national average in cardiac event survival.

“If you have a cardiac arrest in Davie County, you are twice as likely to survive here as the average in the United States.”

Last year, Davie EMS was awarded the highest national honor for its ability to diagnose heart events and send EKGs to doctors, sometimes bypassing the emergency room for lifesaving surgery. The same goes for stroke patients, Nelson said.

“It gives the citizens of Davie County the best chance of recovery.

“I want to stand here arm and arm with our men and women of EMS. They’re dedicated to patient care. We hold them to a high standard and they reach that standard.

“I’m challenging Davie County citizens, if you see them out eating, buy their meal because they’re not going home when they’re done like we are. They are a real community asset.”