West Region Council

West Region EMS & Trauma Care Council, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. The Council is empowered by legislative authority (RCW 70.168.010-70.168.900) and WA State Dept of Health (DOH) Administrative Code (WAC 246.976) to plan, develop, and administer the EMS and trauma care system in the 4.5 counties that make up the Region: Grays Harbor, Lewis, N. Pacific, Pierce and Thurston. It is one of eight regional councils statewide and funded primarily through a contract with the Office of Emergency Medical and Trauma System DOH.

The Council assists DOH in addressing four fundamental questions:

• What are the causes of trauma identified by communities within the West Region?

• Is trauma care readily available in the region?

• Is the system efficient and effective?

• What is needed to implement and/or improve the system?

The West Region EMS Strategic Plan details the Council's answers and recommendations. The plan seeks to continuously improve a model system that effectively treats and rehabilitates trauma victims. Preventing injury or reducing injury severity plays an important part. A fully functional trauma system addresses education, prevention, rapid communications, prehospital care, in-patient trauma care, rehabilitation, a trauma data registry and a quality improvement program. Our work is guided by the Council's Bylaws.

The West Region EMS & Trauma Care Council is composed of representatives from hospitals, prehospital (EMT, paramedic, dispatch) agencies, local government and other interested parties. Members are nominated by their local EMS Council and appointed by the Secretary of the WA State Department of Health.

Current West Region EMS & Trauma Care Council Executive Board Members

Chair - Tom Lamanna

Vice-Chair - Mike Dumas

Secretary/Treasurer - Ben Miller-Todd

Louisa Schreier
Wendy Rife
Corey Rux
Gwen Turner

Local County Councils

Grays Harbor County and North Pacific County
Medical Program Director, Julie Buck, MD, mpd@ghems.og
Louisa Schreier, Grays Harbor EMS, 360-532-2067
2421 Sumner Ave, Aberdeen, WA 98520

Lewis County
Medical Program Director, Peter McCahill, MD, lewiscountympd@gmail.com
Brad Flexhaug, Fire Chief, Lewis County Fire District #1 360-520-3820
1733 State Route 508, PO Box 100, Onalaska, WA 98570

Pierce County
Medical Program Director, Clark Waffle, MD 253-798-7722
Norma Pancake, Pierce County EMS Coordinator 253-798-7722
2501 South 35th Street, Suite D, Tacoma, WA 98409

Thurston County
Medical Program Director, Larry Fontanilla, MD 360-704-2787
Ben Miller-Todd, Thurston County Medic One 360-704-2780
2703 Pacific Avenue SE, Suite C, Olympia, WA 98501

Washington State EMS & Trauma Care Council Regions

In addition to the West Region, there are seven other EMS & Trauma Care Council regions in WA State:

• Central Region - Serving King County

• East Region Serving Adams, Asotin, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens and Whitman counties

• North Region - Serving Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom counties

• North Central Region - Serving Chelan, Douglas, Grant, and Okanogan counties

• Northwest Region - Serving Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Mason counties

• South Central Region - Serving Benton, Columbia, Franklin, Kittitas, Walla Walla and Yakima counties

• Southwest Region - Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Pacific, Skamania and Wahkiakum counties