History
SCU EMS was born of the vision of two pioneering students, Matt Donnelly (class of 1998) and Sam Suleman (class of 1999), who saw a way to change the university for the better. Donnelly and Suleman, both privately certified EMT-B's, had observed the lack of an efficient emergency medical response agency on campus at night and the strain introduced onto the Santa Clara Fire system by relatively non emergent medical calls. They decided that they could bring about a change; by using their own medical expertise to serve the Santa Clara community they could reduce the strain on valuable city FD assets and improve the access to medical care for university students, especially at those times when the Cowell Center was closed.
In late 1997 the two students brought their idea to Santa Clara administrators and pitched the idea of starting a volunteer-based, student run and manned EMS team. Their vision was of an EMS organization which could serve the basic medical needs of the campus at night and which could make the decision to call for fire department and ambulance assistance in cases of serious need. After two months of hard work, discussion, meetings and intense planning with University and Health Center administrators, Donnelly and Sulleman received the permission to start SCU EMS. They spent the month of December and part of January putting together a budget, medical protocols, communication systems, and also purchasing uniforms equipment. On January 12, 1998, together with Michelle Helms (F.N.P., P.A.), the first Medical Director of SCU EMS, they brought the organization to life.
In the first week of service, Donnely and Suleman responded to 8 calls including one fire and several serious medical emergencies. The two students continued to split the nightly shifts (which originally ran from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.) and work out kinks in the organization's design. By mid February they were able to accept 6 additional certified EMT-B's into the program. These 8 students, together, became the founding members of SCU EMS. Through its first two quarters in 1998, SCU EMS provided care to numerous patients involved in 126 calls.
Santa Clara University Emergency Medical Services continues to grow and develop while serving the ideals of compassion and service upon which it was founded. We look forward to the road ahead, and to continuing our service of the campus community. We could not be what we are today without the intrepid enthusiasm and commitment of Matt Donnelly and Sam Suleman, the compassionate and loving guidance of past Medical Director Michelle Helms, the support of the wonderful employees and medical professionals at the Cowell Student Health Center, the skilled officers who work for Campus Safety, the myriad university administrators who make our existence possible, and all of the people who make up the Santa Clara community. Thank you for everything.
In late 1997 the two students brought their idea to Santa Clara administrators and pitched the idea of starting a volunteer-based, student run and manned EMS team. Their vision was of an EMS organization which could serve the basic medical needs of the campus at night and which could make the decision to call for fire department and ambulance assistance in cases of serious need. After two months of hard work, discussion, meetings and intense planning with University and Health Center administrators, Donnelly and Sulleman received the permission to start SCU EMS. They spent the month of December and part of January putting together a budget, medical protocols, communication systems, and also purchasing uniforms equipment. On January 12, 1998, together with Michelle Helms (F.N.P., P.A.), the first Medical Director of SCU EMS, they brought the organization to life.
In the first week of service, Donnely and Suleman responded to 8 calls including one fire and several serious medical emergencies. The two students continued to split the nightly shifts (which originally ran from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.) and work out kinks in the organization's design. By mid February they were able to accept 6 additional certified EMT-B's into the program. These 8 students, together, became the founding members of SCU EMS. Through its first two quarters in 1998, SCU EMS provided care to numerous patients involved in 126 calls.
Santa Clara University Emergency Medical Services continues to grow and develop while serving the ideals of compassion and service upon which it was founded. We look forward to the road ahead, and to continuing our service of the campus community. We could not be what we are today without the intrepid enthusiasm and commitment of Matt Donnelly and Sam Suleman, the compassionate and loving guidance of past Medical Director Michelle Helms, the support of the wonderful employees and medical professionals at the Cowell Student Health Center, the skilled officers who work for Campus Safety, the myriad university administrators who make our existence possible, and all of the people who make up the Santa Clara community. Thank you for everything.
