Project Grant H79TI083830

FM AMBULANCE RURAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES - THE GOAL OF FY 2021 FM AMBULANCE PROJECT IS TO SUBSTANTIVELY EXPAND THE REACH OF RURAL EMS TRAINING TO HELP ACHIEVE A FULLY STAFFED AND WELL- TRAINED CADRE OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL THAT PROACTIVELY SUPPORT SANFORD'S RURAL HEALTH SERVICES AND CLIENTELE ACROSS THE NORTHERN MIDWEST. THEPROPOSED PROJECT IS COMPRISED OFTHE SHEMSE TRAINING CENTER AND ELEVEN RURAL EMS PARTNERS IN RURAL AND FRONTIER AREAS OF ND, SD, AND MN. THE CHALLENGES FACED BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE (EMS) PROVIDERS IN THE RURAL AND FRONTIER AREAS OF THE UPPER MIDWEST HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY EXACERBATED BY THE ONGOING COVID-19 PANDEMIC. IT HAS REEMPHASIZED THE CRITICAL NEED FOR COVID-19-READY EMS PROVIDERS TO BE RECRUITED, TRAINED, AND 'MAINTAINED'. AS A RECIPIENT OF A SAMHSA FY 2020 RURAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES TRAINING GRANT, SANFORD HEALTH'S EMS EDUCATION TRAINING CENTER HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES ACROSS THE EXISTING PROJECT'S NINE RURAL AND/OR FRONTIER PARTNERS IN THE NORTHERN MIDWEST. THE STRONG RESPONSE SHEMSE HAS RECEIVED IN FY2020 IS THE PRIMARY DRIVER BEHIND THE FY2021 EMS TRAINING PROJECT PROPOSED HEREIN. THE PROJECT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN TWO PARALLEL AND INTEGRATED TRACKS. EIGHTY STUDENTS WILL BE RECRUITED AND TRAINED TO THE EMT CERTIFICATION LEVEL, WITH FORTY IN EACH CLASS IN TWO SUCCESSIVE SEMESTERS. INNOVATIVE RECERTIFICATION TRAINING WILL BE PROVIDED TO A MINIMUM OF 100 CURRENT EMT AND PARAMEDICS, TO ENABLE THESE RURAL PROJECT PARTNER PROVIDERS TO MAINTAIN THEIR LICENSURE, AS WELL AS THEIR EXCITEMENT FOR EMERGENCY MEDICINE. THIS WILL BE INTEGRATED WITH MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING THAT INCORPORATES A DUAL FOCUS ON EMS PATIENTS AND PROVIDERS. IT WILL INCLUDE THE MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCIES THAT EMS PROVIDERS MAY ENCOUNTER, RECOGNIZE, ASSESS AND TREAT WITH THEIR PATIENTS, TOGETHER WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH AND/OR SUBSTANCE USE CHALLENGES THAT EMS PERSONNEL MUST MANAGE TO MAINTAIN THEIR OWN MENTAL STABILITY AND RESILIENCE. SPECIFIC TRAINING ON THE USE OF NALOXONE WILL BE INCLUDED IN BOTH EMT CERTIFICATION AND EMT/PARAMEDIC RECERTIFICATION TRAINING. MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING DELIVERY WILL INCLUDE SAMHSA-GENERATED MODULES FROM THE MOUNTAIN PLAINS /GREAT LAKES ADDICTION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTER NETWORKS AND MENTAL HEALTH TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTER NETWORKS. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO ACCESS THE COVID-19 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH MODULES PRODUCED THROUGH BEHAVIOR HEALTH BRIDGE, A SANFORD/UND COLLABORATION. THE FY 2021 EMS TRAINING PROJECT WILL IMPLEMENT ASTRUCTURED, ITERATIVE MONITORING AND DATA COLLECTION PROCESS TO DRIVE ONGOING PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND TO STRENGTHEN SHORT- AND LONG-TERM OUTCOMES. THE PROJECT DIRECTOR AND PROJECT GUIDANCE TEAM WILL OVERSEE AN ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT APPROACH THAT UTILIZES REQUIRED DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING. THE PROPOSED RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, RECERTIFICATION/MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING AND RETENTION INITIATIVES WILL RESULT IN AN INCREASE IN EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL AT ELEVEN SANFORD AND OTHER AFFILIATED RURAL AMBULANCE SERVICES OR RESCUE SQUADS ACROSS THE RURAL AND FRONTIER FOOTPRINT IN MINNESOTA, NORTH DAKOTA, AND SOUTH DAKOTA.