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Resources by Topic: Emergency medical technicians and paramedics

Frontier and Remote Paramedicine Practitioner Models
Reviews paramedic service delivery models in the U.S. and other English speaking countries, focusing on models with the potential to support and improve health and well-being of frontier populations.
Author(s): Peter O'Meara, Gary Wingrove, Michael Nolan
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 18(3)
Date: 08/2018
Type: Document
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ThedaCare: Leveraging Community Paramedics To Bridge Persistent Gaps in Care
Describes ThedaCare, a 2016 participant in the Transforming Complex Care initiative from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Center for Health Care Strategies, a community paramedic (CP) program that works to extend the reach of clinic services to medically and socially complex patients in Northeastern Wisconsin. Discusses program goals, steps to establishing the CP program, and sustainability.
Author(s): Naomi Freundlich
Date: 05/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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EMS Services in Rural America: Challenges and Opportunities
Policy brief describing challenges for rural EMS providers, including workforce shortages and inconsistent funding. Features statistics including percentage of potentially excess deaths for 5 leading causes of death, with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and average EMS call time response and distribution of all-volunteer and all-paid staff EMS agencies, with breakdowns by 4 levels of population density. Discusses effects of the opioid crisis and Critical Access Hospital closures on provision of EMS services.
Author(s): Nikki King, Marcus Pigman, Sarah Huling, Brian Hanson
Date: 05/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Recruitment and Retention: Overcoming the Rural EMS Dilemma
Reports on rural emergency medical services (EMS) workforce challenges and identifies innovative approaches to meet these challenges, highlighting programs in several states. Includes a list of 4 EMS recruitment and retention tactics for rural communities.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 02/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Promising Practice: Wisconsin Office of Rural Health Rallies EMS Providers in the State
Describes how EMS Day at the Wisconsin capitol brought 50 local EMS agencies and two state EMS associations together to meet with state legislators and advocate for their support and recognition of their needs. This event developed out of an effort by the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health (WI-ORH) to design and implement an assessment tool evaluating rural ambulance services within the state.
Author(s): Beth Blevins
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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Emergency Medical Services Professionals' Attitudes about Community Paramedic Programs
Evaluates perceptions and attitudes of emergency medical services (EMS) professionals' understanding and willingness to participate in community paramedic programs. Includes demographic data for EMS professionals participating in the study by level of certification or licensure and total years of EMS experience. Provides information on EMS participants' work experiences, including the type of community and population served.
Author(s): Robert J. Steeps, Denise A. Wilfong, Michael W. Hubble, Daniel L. Bercher
Citation: Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 18(4), 630-639
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
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Community Paramedics Team Up with Hospitals to Reduce Readmissions
Describes community paramedicine pilot projects in California, one of which is rural, that are providing follow-up calls and visits to patients between 24-72 hours after hospital discharge. Features statistics including number of patients and number of readmissions within 30 days, with breakdowns by 6 diagnoses and site.
Author(s): Karen Shore
Date: 01/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: California Health Care Foundation
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Community Paramedic Toolkit
Toolkit for ambulance services, hospitals, and others considering the development or expansion of a community paramedicine program in Minnesota. Includes program planning, education and training, financing, and models of care, among other discussions.
Date: 12/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Innovations in Rural Health System Development: Recruiting and Retaining Maine's Health Care Workforce
Illustrates examples of rural-focused medical education programs to support an adequate supply of physicians in rural Maine. Also, discusses behavioral and oral health workforce development, and promising programs utilizing other types of healthcare workers such as community paramedics and community health workers (CHWs) to increase the availability and accessibility of healthcare in rural Maine and in other rural regions of the U.S.
Author(s): Amanda Burgess, Andrew F. Coburn
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Maine Health Access Foundation, Maine Rural Health Research Center
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EMS Leaders Speak
Five experts discuss emergency medical services in a changing rural healthcare delivery system. Topics addressed include EMS challenges and potential opportunities, such as community paramedicine and telehealth.
Author(s): Kevin McGinnis, Diane Calmus, Don Wood, Tom Nehring, Gary Wingrove
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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