Southwest Minnesota EMS Awarded $9.9M to Expand Ambulance-based Telemedicine

Federal funds will be used to equip 54 EMS agencies across the region with Avel eCare's EMS telemedicine services as part of an initiative to reduce rural crash fatalities

DAWSON, Minn., Sept. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Minnesota EMS Corp. was awarded $9.9 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation's  Safe Streets and Roads for All Program (SS4A) as part of an initiative to improve and expedite post-crash care in rural communities.

The money will provide every EMS agency in the 18-county region—representing 54 EMS agencies and 109 ambulances—with Avel eCare's EMS services. As part of the program, Avel will provide EMTs and paramedics with immediate virtual access to board-certified emergency physicians, experienced paramedics, and nurses for peer-to-peer support in the field or during transport.

"Funding for this program will significantly enhance our ability to provide life-saving trauma care and help reduce traffic fatalities in rural communities. By partnering with experts from Avel eCare, we can ensure that our EMS teams, no matter how rural, can connect immediately with experienced providers to receive guidance enroute to one of our 27 area hospitals – none of which are Level I or II Trauma Centers," said Ann Jenson, Executive Director, Southwest Minnesota EMS Corporation.

On average, 35 people a year die in motor vehicle crashes in the SW EMS Region–that number increased to 48 in 2022–and 124 people a year are seriously injured. Crash victims in this rural area have to wait longer for EMS to arrive, travel longer distances to definitive care, and are more likely to be cared for by volunteer EMTs rather than full-time paramedics.

"Treatment doesn't start when patients arrive at the hospital, but at the first contact with emergency services. In a region where it can take up to 25 minutes for an ambulance to arrive on the scene and another 60 minutes to drive to the nearest hospital, telemedicine can speed access to post-crash care during the critical Golden Hour in medicine, when the patient's chances of survival are greatest," said Rebecca Vande Kieft, VP and General Manager of Emergency Services at Avel eCare.

Southwest Minnesota EMS Corp first partnered with Avel eCare in September 2023 to deploy a pilot program for tele-EMS services in Murray County (Slayton) and Wabasso.  In addition to the two pilot sites, Browns Valley has also partnered with Avel eCare EMS.

As part of the new collaboration with SW EMS, local ambulances, and hospitals, the MN Department of Health and Avel eCare will partner with the University of Minnesota Translational Center for Resuscitative Trauma Care (TCRTC) research team to evaluate the efficacy of the new EMS telemedicine program, focusing on how it impacts patient care.

"It's critical to understand the effects of this innovative technology on outcomes for our patients in order to improve the lives of people in rural Minnesota," says Dr. Greg Beilman, MD, Associate Dean for DoD Relationships, Director of Translational Center for Resuscitative Trauma Care, and Professor of Surgery at the University of Minnesota.

Avel already supports EMS agencies across South Dakota and Nebraska. Previous surveys have found that in addition to improving the quality and timeliness of patient care, participating agencies felt that Avel tele-EMS enhanced recruitment, training, and job satisfaction of EMTs and paramedics.

The grant is part of $1 billion in grants awarded last week by the U.S. Department of Transportation to more than 350 communities through the SS4A program. The program will award a total of $5 billion over five years to fund projects aimed at improving roadway safety and preventing deaths and serious injuries on our nation's roads, streets, and highways as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

For more information on Avel eCare's telemedicine services, visit www.avelecare.com. 

About Southwest Minnesota EMS Corp.  Southwest EMS (SW EMS) is a non-profit devoted to supporting the improvement of the emergency medical services (EMS) system in 18 counties of Southwest Minnesota. The mission of SW EMS is to promote, provide, and support the delivery of quality emergency care throughout the southwest region. We strive for competence, commitment, and cooperation through all disciplines of the EMS system.

About Avel eCare
Avel eCare offers the largest and most comprehensive virtual health network in the world, partnering with hospitals, health systems, government entities, schools, senior care communities, and law enforcement and EMS agencies around the country. For more than 30 years, Avel has harnessed the power of its technology-enabled workflows and the strength of its clinical expertise to deliver high-quality virtual care impacting millions of patients. Avel eCare services include behavioral health, crisis care, emergency, EMS, critical care, pharmacy, hospitalist, senior care, school health, specialty clinic, virtual nursing, and more. To learn more, visit: www.avelecare.com

Media Contact:
Lauren Bieke
eMedia Junction
[email protected]

SOURCE Avel eCare; Southwest Minnesota EMS Corp.