West Penn Allegheny Health System creates an emergency responder app, placing your life in far better handsWest Penn Allegheny Health System creates an emergency responder app, placing your life in far better handsWest Penn Allegheny Health System creates an emergency responder app, placing your life in far better hands

Creating a health-minded application for those who are unconscious, dead, or creeping awfully close to death might not do much good, but creating a health-minded application for those who care for the near-dead... now that's a novel concept! The West Penn Allegheny Health System has just churned out the EMS Field Partner app for iPod touch and iPhone, giving emergency medical services (EMS) professionals and other first responders the ability to easily sift through a variety of emergency conditions or complaints -- such as chest pain, stroke symptoms or fall injury, etc. -- and be directed to the closest WPAHS hospital that is most qualified to treat the patient. It also provides an interface with Google Maps and directions to the System's hospitals, not to mention "up to the minute traffic information as well." For more serious encounters, there's a direct link to West Penn Allegheny's LifeFlight Command Center, with the built-in location system telling the backend where to send an emergency helicopter. The app's available for free as we speak, but many of the features (like the chopper request, we're guessing) will require registration. We know, we know -- you had all sorts of crazy ideas.