Minnesota EMS Licenses First Community Paramedics

We’ll kickoff the news this week with an article from Minnesota. In Hennepin County, Minnesota, specifically Eden Prairie, Minnesota they are starting a new program with community paramedics. We’ve talked about community paramedics in the past, talking with Chris Montera and his ground-breaking program out of Western Eagle County, Colorado. We also talked with Gary Wingrove and about the formation and goals of the International Roundtable for Community Paramedicine. Find our other community paramedic episodes on the MedicCast here.

If you watched the episodes recorded while we were at EMS today 2012 back in March you know we had a special episode where we talk about nothing but the progress in the various community paramedicine programs around the country. This is just another one of the localities that’s picking up this type of program and looking at ways to implement it. The hope is that programs like this will give their communities better service and health care for underserved persons.

Old Paramedics Never Die

It is interesting to see how they’re implementing this program in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Paramedics who apply to this program must have two years experience as a paramedic. I believe a lot of paramedics who’ve been around for a long time, like myself and some others, are just getting tired of climbing down into the muck and stuff on everyday calls with but still enjoy patient assessment and care.

This is a perfect opportunity for them to continue to utilize their skills and their vast knowledge and experience they’ve gained over the years. These community paramedics can use their skills to treat those patients in the community that may otherwise have ended up in the hospital.

I wanted to give them a shout out because I think it’s really exciting and if you have a program that starting off the community paramedicine program or you’re doing something similar, let me know. This this isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. You don’t just get your community paramedic badge and go out treating patients. It really is about fulfilling the needs of each specific communities, of different places, of using community paramedicine in different ways.

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Catch the rest of the news from this week’s show in Episode 293 – Rural Nevada Critical Care Innovator Pat Songer from the MedicCast.

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