Project Grant H79TI086731

STRENGTHENING EMS CARE IN RURAL IOWA - WAYNE COUNTY HOSPITAL (WCH) (CORYDON, IA) REQUESTS FUNDING FOR THEIR STRENGTHENING EMS CARE IN RURAL IOWA PROJECT. THE GOAL OF WCH'S RURAL EMS TRAINING PROJECT IS TO INCREASE CAPACITY OF WCH AND THE COMMUNITIES' EMS AGENCIES TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY AND CRITICAL CARE TRANSPORTS, THROUGH MORE ACCESSIBLE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AND A LARGER QUANTITY OF TRAINED AND CERTIFIED EMS PERSONNEL, WHICH WILL IN TURN LEAD TO IMPROVED HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR THOSE IN THE REGION REQUIRING EMS SERVICES. THIS GOAL WILL BE REACHED BY EXPANDING THE CAPACITY OF CURRENT WCH PERSONNEL AND RECRUITING & TRAINING ADDITIONAL INDIVIDUALS IN EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSE (EMR). WCH WILL PARTNER WITH INDIAN HILLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE (IHCC) TO PROVIDE SAID EMR TRAINING. THE POPULATION OF FOCUS FOR THIS PROJECT ENCOMPASSES WAYNE COUNTY AND SURROUNDING AREAS. THE COMMUNITIES BEING SERVED FACE SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC, GEOGRAPHIC, EDUCATIONAL, AND HEALTHCARE CHALLENGES THAT HINDER THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE AND ARE MEANINGFUL BARRIERS TO OVERALL WELL-BEING. WAYNE COUNTY RESIDENTS HAVE HIGHER RATES OF UNINSURED, MORE RESIDENTS LIVING IN POVERTY COMPARED TO THE STATE, AND LOWER LEVEL OF EDUCATION AND MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME. WAYNE COUNTY MEETS THE CRITERIA FOR RURAL DESIGNATION DUE TO BEING IN NONMETROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS. ADDITIONALLY, ALL OF WAYNE COUNTY IS DESIGNATED BY HRSA AS A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREA (HPSA) FOR MENTAL, DENTAL, AND PRIMARY CARE. THE PRINCIPAL GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY AND COMPETENCIES OF WAYNE COUNTY HOSPITAL'S EMS PERSONNEL, PARTICULARLY IN RESPONDING TO MENTAL HEALTH CRISES AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER EMERGENCIES - IN TURN LEADING TO IMPROVED HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR THOSE IN THE REGION WHO REQUIRE EMS SERVICES. WCH HAS DEVELOPED THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES TO MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF THIS TRAINING PROJECT IN ACHIEVING THE OVERARCHING GOAL: WCH WILL HAVE TRAINED AT LEAST 70 UNDUPLICATED INDIVIDUALS TOTAL - 50 WCH HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND 20 OTHERS - DURING THE 12-MONTH PROJECT; WCH WILL HAVE RECRUITED 2 COHORTS OF 10 INDIVIDUALS EACH TO ENROLL IN AND COMPLETE INDIAN HILLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE'S EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONDER PROGRAM; 20 INDIVIDUALS TOTAL WILL HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED IHCC'S EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONDER PROGRAM OF STUDY AND ACHIEVE THEIR LICENSURE; WCH WILL HAVE PROVIDED NARCAN TRAINING TO AT LEAST 30 WCH EMS PERSONNEL; WCH WILL HAVE TRAINED AT LEAST 9 WCH RNS IN THE 40-HOUR RN EXEMPT CLASS FOR WORKING ON AN AMBULANCE; AT LEAST 30 WCH EMS PERSONNEL WILL SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE MENTAL HEALTH RESILIENCE OFFICER TRAINING; AT LEAST 3 WCH EMS PERSONNEL WILL HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED A TRAUMA NURSING CORE COURSE PROVIDER TRAINING; AT LEAST 30 WCH EMS PERSONNEL WILL SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING IN HEALTHCARE TRAINING CURRICULUM; AT LEAST 30 WCH EMS PERSONNEL WILL HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE IMPLEMENTING MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING IN HEALTHCARE TRAINING; WCH WILL HAVE COMPLETED TRAINING AT LEAST 30 WCH EMS PERSONNEL ON THE LATEST BASIC LIFE SUPPORT, ADVANCED CARDIAC LIFE SUPPORT, PEDIATRIC ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT, AND NEONATAL RESUSCITATION PROGRAM CURRICULA; AT LEAST 5 WCH EMS PERSONNEL WILL HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED CERTIFIED EMERGENCY NURSE TRAINING; AT LEAST 50 WCH HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WILL HAVE COMPLETED THEIR REQUIRED CONTINUING EDUCATION STUDIES AND RENEWED THEIR LICENSURE/CREDENTIALS; AND WCH WILL HAVE PURCHASED, INSTALLED, AND BEGUN UTILIZING NEW CRITICAL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES FOR USE IN THE TRAININGS OF EMS PERSONNEL. THROUGH ENHANCED TRAINING OF 70 INDIVIDUALS, WCH WILL BE BETTER PREPARED TO OFFER QUALITY AND TIMELY CARE TO ROUGHLY 7,000 PEOPLE IN RURAL SOUTH-CENTRAL IOWA.