Across Nebraska, approximately 430 licensed ambulance services provide life-saving emergency medical care at a moment’s notice.
In most rural communities that means volunteers, trained in basic life support, fill the role of emergency responders.
And it’s those first responders who have the biggest impact on a person in crisis, said Eric Ernest, M.D., assistant professor of emergency medicine at UNMC.
As the medical director of the Cass County Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Ernest saw a need to enhance the care provided by first responders within Cass County. He also saw a need to provide more coverage during the middle of the day when the volunteer emergency responders are working at their full-time jobs.
So in a collaborative effort between UNMC and the Cass County Emergency Management Agency, he helped to create a new paramedic response program.
A key feature of the program, which launched Jan. 1, is the addition of two paramedics who assist EMTs on service calls and provide advanced life support.
“The Cass County crew is composed of one EMT and one paramedic, who respond to calls during the middle of the day when there is a general lack of coverage from the volunteer fire services,” Dr. Ernest said.
The paramedics are seasoned professionals who have experience working in a volunteer system as well as in private transport in the Omaha-metropolitan area, he said.
While EMTs are trained to immobilize a patient, administering CPR or starting an IV with saline solution only, paramedics can give medications, intubate a patient if necessary and do cardiac assessments and administer treatments.
The response to the program has been very positive, Dr. Ernest said.
This program is being eyed by the state as a model for other rural counties, said Dean Cole, emergency medical services and trauma program administrator for Nebraska.
“Dr. Ernest is the perfect person to lead this effort,” Cole said. “As a young physician just out of an emergency medical services fellowship, he has a lot of enthusiasm for what he does and a great understanding of the needs of our first responders, too.”
Along with Cass County, Dr. Ernest also is the medical director for the Bellevue Fire Department and Sarpy County Dispatch, and serves as assistant medical director for the Omaha Fire Department.
He works with each agency to develop protocols for emergency responders and monitors the quality of the training they receive.
“Overall, the goal is to improve patient outcomes and this may be the model to help those in rural communities,” Dr. Ernest said.