Project Grant H79TI084709

FM AMBULANCE EMS EDUCATION RURAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES - EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE (EMS) PROVIDERS IN THE RURAL AND FRONTIER REGIONS OF THE UPPER MIDWEST CONTINUE TO FACE MULTIPLE CHALLENGES AS THEY STRIVE TO 'ANSWER THE CALL' IN 911 MEDICAL EMERGENCIES. SANFORD HEALTH EMS EDUCATION (SHEMSE) WILL ADDRESS THE CRITICAL NEED TO RECRUIT, TRAIN, AND MAINTAIN EMS PROVIDERS ACROSS THE PROJECT AREA OF RURAL AND FRONTIER NORTH DAKOTA AND MINNESOTA THROUGH THE TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION OF 50 UNDUPLICATED EMTS AND UP TO 4 PARAMEDICS. IN ADDITION, SPECIALIZED RECERTIFICATION TRAINING WILL ENABLE EXISTING EMTS AND PARAMEDICS ACROSS THE PARTNERING RURAL SERVICES TO MAINTAIN THEIR LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS. SPECIALIZED COURSES SUCH AS ADVANCED STOKE LIFE SUPPORT AND PREHOSPITAL TRAUMA LIFE SUPPORT WILL BE PROVIDED AS REQUESTED. THIS TRAINING WILL ALSO ENCOMPASSES MENTAL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDERS, AND INCLUDE A FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT TO ESTABLISH PEER ASSISTED CRISIS TEAMS (PACT) AND PROVIDE CRISIS INCIDENT STRESS MANAGEMENT (CISM) TRAINING. AS A RECIPIENT OF A SAMHSA FY 2021 RURAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES TRAINING GRANT, SANFORD HEALTH'S EMS EDUCATION (SHEMSE) TRAINING CENTER HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES ACROSS THE EXISTING PROJECT'S ELEVEN RURAL AND/OR FRONTIER PARTNERS IN THE NORTHERN MIDWEST. BUILDING UPON THE SUCCESSES AND LESSONS LEARNED TO DATE, THE HIGHEST PRIORITY IN FY 2022 WILL BE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF EMS PROVIDERS THAT ARE TRAINED, RETAINED, AND/OR SUSTAINED ACROSS AN EXPANDED RURAL AND FRONTIER FOOTPRINT. COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL AND REGIONAL FIRE AND EMS ORGANIZATIONS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED TO STRENGTHEN RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING INITIATIVES. . 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. 2-4 PARAMEDIC STUDENTS WILL BE SUPPORTED DURING THEIR 2ND YEAR OF TRAINING. 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 ENTHUSIASM 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. THIS IS INCLUDED WITHIN THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF TRAINING AT THE EMT LEVEL. SPECIFIC TRAINING ON THE USE OF NALOXONE WILL BE INCLUDED IN BOTH EMT CERTIFICATION AND EMT/PARAMEDIC RECERTIFICATION TRAINING. THE FY 2022 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.