– Initiative also helps address EMS volunteer retention and recruitment in rural Nebraska –
A new initiative is underway to help ensure access to high-quality emergency medical services in rural Nebraska.
Ambulances in 20 rural Nebraska communities and counties, with more being added, are being equipped with telemedicine technology.
“Every person and every community deserve access to high-quality emergency care where and when it’s needed,” said Tim Wilson, the state’s director of the Office of Emergency Health Systems for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. “Installing telemedicine technology provides EMTs and paramedics with immediate, real-time, 24/7 access to board-certified emergency physicians, and emergency paramedics and nurses.”
The president of the Nebraska Emergency Medical Services Association, Sandy Lewis, a veteran EMT with 22 years experience in rural Nebraska communities, including the last six in Murray, said this is a difference-maker. “Many communities are 20, 30 or more miles from the nearest hospital,” Lewis said. “This helps with stabilizing patients and, in some cases, keeps them alive until they reach the next level of emergency medical services.”
“I think this is another way to support our small communities by providing care for people in rural areas, and for EMS volunteers who are putting their lives on the line, we’re supporting them,” Lewis added.
“I believe this is an additional tool for volunteer recruitment and retention,” said Wilson. In addition to serving as Nebraska’s EMS state director, Wilson has 16 years experience as an EMS volunteer and paid paramedic. He’s also a commissioner on The United States Emergency Medical Services Compact. “EMTs appreciate the peer-to-peer support and are finding the operation of the telemedicine technology is ‘as easy as pushing a button,’” he added.
Avel eCare, which is partnering with the state of Nebraska on the initiative, has been collaborating with healthcare systems and healthcare professionals in Nebraska for more than 20 years. “As we continue to innovate, telemedicine is proving to be a vital lifeline for EMS professionals,” said Avel eCare CEO Doug Duskin. “Since launching our EMS service in South Dakota, Avel’s talented team has been providing expertise and guidance to help EMTs and paramedics stabilize their patients, to support improved pre-hospital care and improve overall outcomes. We look forward to providing the same continuity of care and support to EMS across Nebraska to ensure its citizens receive the care they deserve.”
If South Dakota’s experience with its program, Telemedicine in Motion, is any indication, Nebraskans will be pleased, according to Wilson’s counterpart in South Dakota. “Telemedicine in Motion has been instrumental in the advancement of EMS in South Dakota,” said Marty Link, South Dakota’s EMS director. “We are seeing clinically significant improvements to care in addition to a marked increase in recruitment and retention of EMS providers,” Link added.
The $1.3 million initiative is funded by a Centers for Disease Control Health Disparities grant.
Participating sites communities and services include Alma Volunteer Fire Department, Ansley Volunteer Fire and Rescue, Atkinson Ambulance Service, Aurora Fire Department, Brown County Ambulance Association, Cambridge Rescue Service, Creighton Ambulance, Crofton Rescue, Humboldt Rescue, Friend Rescue Squad, Imperial Emergency Medical Service, Morrill County Community Hospital, Ogallala Volunteer Fire Department, Pawnee County Ambulance, Providence Medical Center, Randolph Rescue Unit, Ravenna Emergency Unit, Springfield Rural Fire Protection District, Thedford Volunteer Rescue Squad, and West Point Rescue.
Community leaders interested in finding out how to get involved, can contact Tim Wilson at tim.wilson@nebraska.gov or 402-471-0124.