Erin O’neill

This study examines the statewide service coverage of emergency medical services (EMS) in view of public health planners, policy makers, and ambulance service managers. The study investigates the statewide service coverage in a mixed region of urban, rural, and frontier regions to address the importance of ambulance service coverage at a large scale. The study incorporated statewide road networks for ambulance travel time, census blocks for population, and backup service coverage using geographic information systems (GIS). The catchment areas were delineated by the travel time after subtracting chute time for each Census Block as an analysis zone. Using the catchment areas from the ambulance base to the centroid of Census Block, the population and land coverage were calculated. The service shortage and multiple coverage areas were identified by the catchment areas. The study found that both reducing chute time and increasing the speed of emergency vehicles at the same time was significantly more effective than improving only one of two factors. The study shows that the service is improved significantly in frontier and urban areas by increasing driving time and chute time. However, in rural areas, the improvement is marginal owing to wider distribution than urban areas and shorter threshold response time than frontier areas. The public health planners and EMS managers benefit from the study to identify underserved areas and redistribute limited public resources.

Korea initiated a new experiment, called a dynamic response system for open democratic societies as a principle to respond to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The global pandemic of COVID-19 led to a surge in demand for healthcare medical masks and respirators, and strained the global supply chain of mask production and distribution systems. This study provides a systemic view of critical personal protective equipment for both healthcare staff and the public to stop the spread of COVID-19. This study investigates the dynamic response system of healthcare mask production to the coronavirus and discusses lessons learned in view of systems thinking. The study shows that it is critical to developing a quick and dynamic response system to the evolving market conditions with flexible and agile operations. Visibility with transparency with information sharing with the public is also critical under global pandemic. Due to the shortage of mask supply, smart consumption is required along with collaboration with public and private sectors, as well as global organizations. Democratic leadership and a well-prepared strategic plan for long-term period are essential to the open society to prepare the global pandemic in the future. This study serves as a benchmark for dynamic and timely responses to the global pandemic.