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Penn’s Medical Emergency Response Team provides emergency medical services to students.
MERT is a student-run emergency response service staffed by student emergency medical technicians that provides “rapid medical care” across Penn’s campus. The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with MERT Chief Raymond Tabak to clarify payment and safety procedures for students who might be unfamiliar with the policies.
“We respond to on-campus medical emergencies, provide standby medical coverage for community events and athletic games, and ultimately ensure the safety of all students, faculty, staff, and visitors of Penn with the help of our partners at Public Safety and the Philadelphia Fire Department,” Tabak wrote in a statement to the DP.
Tabak explained that services provided by MERT’s team are “always free of cost” and that the organization does not directly charge students.
“While MERT’s emergency medical services are completely free of charge, costs associated with continued care may still apply,” Tabak explained. “This may include, but is not limited to, transportation to a medical facility and/or any care provided there.”
When calling MERT, all students are provided medical amnesty, which protects them against potential repercussions from the possession or use of drugs or alcohol in an emergency.
The University’s Alcohol and Other Drug Policy strongly encourages students to seek medical assistance for themselves or a friend or acquaintance who is “dangerously intoxicated.”
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“No student seeking medical treatment for an alcohol or other drug-related overdose will be subject to University discipline for the sole violation of using or possessing alcohol or drugs,” the policy reads.
Tabak wrote that the policy is designed to eliminate “fear of disciplinary action related to alcohol or drug use,” adding that “safety is always the top priority” for MERT.
“If you or a friend need medical assistance, calling MERT is always the right decision — getting help quickly can save a life,” Tabak wrote.
He also clarified that MERT follows strict guidelines surrounding the sharing of personal health information and data.
“MERT does not share any personal health information related to our patient care in accordance with patient privacy standards and university policy, and only discloses information when required to support patient care or comply with legal and safety obligations,” Tabak wrote.
According to MERT’s website, its services are in operation Monday to Friday between 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., and all day long on Saturday and Sunday.
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Staff reporter Ashley Wang covers student health and wellness and can be reached at wang@thedp.com. At Penn, she studies philosophy, politics, and economics.
