PEND OREILLE COUNTY, Wash. — An emergency room physician is now responding to the same 911 calls as firefighters in Pend Oreille County, marking what officials say is the first program of its kind in Eastern Washington.
Dr. Nathan Lilya is an emergency room physician who has also taken on a new role, bringing advanced medical care directly to emergency scenes.
Dr. Lilya is the chauffeur of Physician One, the car that will operate with fire crews. It has equipment similar to what would be found in an ambulance or emergency room, giving Lilya the tools he needs when responding to the most critical calls.
“Right now, I have the ability to be all over the county. I have full radio capability,” Lilya said.
The program addresses a critical challenge facing rural communities: the length of time if can get to drive to a hospital or higher level of care.
Shane Stocking, Fire Chief for South Pend Oreille Fire and Rescue, emphasized the program’s significance for the region.
“It’s nice to be on the forefront of medicine,” Stocking said.
The program represents more than just additional equipment — it also provides a new way to build on the education of paramedics and EMTs.
Dr. Lilya will not respond to every 911 call, but rather to those that could need advanced services like chest tubes or ultrasounds, things that can be critical in saving a life during an emergency.
“To be able to bring an emergency physician out there with us, this is a capability game-changing thing for our little rural frontier county,” Chief Stocking said.
While Dr. Lilya already serves as the county’s medical director, this response role is volunteer-based.
“I hope that it kind of lights a fire under other agencies, and that this becomes a model of what can be done at other agencies,” Lilya said.
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