Yes, always call the Brown Emergency Number.

Campus affiliates should always call the Brown Emergency Number 401-863-4111 for emergencies that happen on campus or in a Brown occupancy in the City of Providence.  The Communications Center will ask you questions about your need, similar to when you call 911, and then connect you with the appropriate resources.  Most of the time, a Brown EMS emergency vehicle will be sent to you; when Brown EMS is not available, the Providence Fire Department Rescue will respond.

Yes, Brown EMS is a RI licensed ambulance service.

All ambulances in the State of RI must be licensed through the Department of Health, including the Brown EMS vehicles. 

Brown EMS follows the same exact protocols as any licensed ambulance in RI; what makes us different is that we are staffed almost entirely by licensed EMTs who are also Brown undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, and we are a part of the Student Health and Wellness services.  Our collegiate EMS agency has served the campus community since 1978. We respond to any call for medical aid on campus or where students occupy space in Providence.

No, there is no cost associated with Brown EMS services.

Most ambulances, including private and municipal services, charge insurance for medical transports.  Depending upon insurance plans, there may be an out of pocket co-pay associated with that charge.  Brown EMS is similar to Health Services: we do not charge for our care and there is no billing for the care we are able to provide with our campus EMS team. 

No, this is not a Brown EMS charge.

Brown EMS does not bill for any emergency vehicle response services.  A hospital bill may note care from “BEM,” which is Brown Emergency Medicine.  This has generated some confusion in the past few years since that new acronym was created by emergency medical physicians. The charge from BEM is a hospital bill and not associated with Brown EMS.

No, we do not call your parents spontaneously.

In the State of RI, all patients over the age of 16 are considered adults in the setting of emergency care consent.  Brown EMS will never call a parent without a student’s consent/request.  When students are experiencing a non-life threatening emergency, they are encouraged to contact their family or other support resources to help navigate the non-emergency decision making.  Options are presented when appropriate, such as non-emergency rides to Student Health Services or a local Urgent Care facility.  In a life threatening emergency, Brown EMS makes notification to an on-call doctor who may determine if additional notifications are necessary.  Brown EMS provides confidential medical care according to expectations for emergency medical services as outlined in National guidelines; decisions to notify a student’s parent or emergency contact are made at the University or hospital emergency department level.

Yes, Brown offers a few options:

The Brown Shuttle and Access Shuttle are options for certain destinations, and students may also use the RIPTA bus system free of charge with a Brown ID.  The Brown EMS Wellness Wagon is also available free of charge Monday through Friday from 7am to 7pm for prebooked rides.

Wellness Wagon is a non-emergency vehicle staffed by Brown EMS to provide rides to off campus locations, typically within a 30 mile range.  Transportation to specialists outside the 30 mile range may be coordinated with advanced planning and approval. 

Booking information is available on the Brown EMS webpage: https://ems.brown.edu/

Yes:

Reasons to book Wellness Wagon rides include mental health appointments, specialist and dental appointments, physical therapy, or even rides to a pharmacy if a prescription cannot be filled on campus.  Wellness Wagon prebooking does not require referral from a student Health and Wellness provider and is free of charge.  Our vehicle cannot accommodate a wheelchair at this time. 

Booking information is available on the Brown EMS webpage: https://ems.brown.edu/