State lawmakers in Minnesota passed a $30M aid package to address the emergency medical services shortage in rural areas, with $6M earmarked to explore a new Sprint medic program.
Minnesota is exploring a new approach to addressing emergency medical services (EMS) shortages through a program called Sprint. This initiative aims to use a network of medical professionals who are on-call to assist during emergencies. These on-call, first responders would “sprint” to the incident ahead of a fully staffed and dispatched EMS team.
From the Route-Fifty article:
The idea is that these roving paramedics who would be patrolling the area have more training than emergency medical technicians that make up the bulk of rural ambulance crews. They could reach emergencies more quickly, shaving minutes off response times, and, in some cases, resolve calls to keep ambulances with advanced-life support equipment from being dispatched unnecessarily.
The program seeks to improve response times and overall emergency care efficiency in states struggling with EMS workforce challenges. The idea is to supplement the existing EMS workforce, which often faces staffing shortages, by providing a rapid response from a pool of trained individuals who can help manage or stabilize medical emergencies until full EMS services arrive, or even without their arrival.
