By Drew Sechler
dsechler@salisburypost.com
Mike Damba and Todd Williamson say it takes a special knack to do what they do.
Damba and Williamson are paramedics at NuCare Carolina, a non-emergency ambulance service that transports patients where they need to be.
The job is not always exciting, but Damba says getting to know the people they transport is a reward in itself.
“This is a very social job, you get to meet a lot of people,” Damba said. And sometimes, he gets “attached to the patients.”
On a recent call to transport patient Kenneth Anthony from the W.G. “Bill” Hefner VA Medical Center to Rowan Regional Medical Center, Damba and Williamson not only tried to make Anthony as comfortable as possible, they tried to make him feel like he was more than just a patient.
Williamson assisted Anthony during the ride, and once they got to Rowan Regional, he took Anthony inside and checked him in, making sure everything was fine before leaving.
John Barrett, director of operations at NuCare, said Williamson was just displaying what the job takes: “dedication, passion and commitment.”
A private service, NuCare is fully licensed by the state as an ambulance provider, and all its paramedics are trained under the same standards as those employed by Rowan County Emergency Medical Services.
Local emergency officials say there is a place for non-emergency services such as NuCare. And while it gets no county funding, it helps county services. With the population aging, NuCare helps fill a growing need for service that doesn’t require lights and sirens but simply medical transportation from site to site.
Rowan County EMS used to deal with non-emergency services along with its regular emergency calls. NuCare, which opened in Rowan County in November 2007, takes many of those non-emergency calls off the hands of emergency responders.
Beth Connell, EMS division manager, said NuCare provides a “valuable resource” to EMS. “It’s allowed us to maintain the same level of service,” Connell said.
NuCare deals mainly with is transportation of patients to and from hospitals and treatment centers, but the service has transported patients to other cities and states, including New York, Florida and Texas.
NuCare originated in Philadelphia and opened its first North Carolina location in Statesville. When NuCare opened in Rowan County, the company had 10 employees and two ambulances. It now has 45 employees in Rowan and four ambulances.
“This place has come a long way,” Damba said.
Scott Martin, director of business development, said the company wants “to grow as much as we possibly can. We are working to expand operations.”
The NuCare ambulance base is located at 222 Mocksville Ave., near Rowan Regional Medical Center. In addition to Salisbury, it has operations in Forsyth, Iredell and Surry counties.
To arrange transportation, call the company’s communications center at 704-633-7033.