Increasing access to EMS critical care to meet critical health needs for underserved populations in rural minnesota and wisconsin - through this project, increasing access to EMS critical care to meet…

Increasing access to EMS critical care to meet critical health needs for underserved populations in rural minnesota and wisconsin - through this project, increasing access to EMS critical care to meet critical health needs for underserved populations in rural minnesota and wisconsin, north memorial health ambulance's (NMHA) will increase access to critical care EMS services for 275,000 individuals throughout rural minnesota and western wisconsin through advanced training for existing EMS first responders and critical care training drills for community partner organizations that provide basic EMS services. The level of care offered to these communities will increase exponentially, especially during the long medical transports required to access higher levels of care outside of their immediate area. Additional training to community-based EMS providers will also address successful mental health and addiction/overdose medical assistance techniques. Skills gained in managing behavioral health and substance use disorder will strengthen the safety net that EMS currently provides in these areas. The project proposes two main goals: - to ensure populations in seven minnesota/wisconsin rural districts have access to EMS providers trained in advanced critical care techniques that improve health outcomes during frequently experienced emergency situations. - to provide mental health support, overdose and DE-escalation training to local and volunteer first responders in all seven rural districts so they can successfully use evidence-based techniques in their practice while addressing the most pressing related needs identified within their communities. To reach these goals, NMHA will support advanced critical care training and certification for 25 paramedics, facilitate high fidelity critical care training collaborative drills with at least 8 rural responder organizations utilizing simulation equipment to recreate real-life situations and provide training to 200 community-based first responders in mental health assistance, DE-escalation and overdose support. Working with the communities they have served for decades as an EMS provider, NMHA will reach some of the most vulnerable populations in these rural areas who have limited access to health care. Several of the communities, including the whole of 3 counties, have per capita incomes under $23,000 annually, making them among the poorest communities in the areas NMHA serves.