Minn. EMS awarded grant for community paramedic program

The Fergus Falls Journal

FERGUS FALLS, Minn. — The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has awarded Otter Tail Public Health and Ringdahl Ambulance grants to create a Community Paramedic program designed to strengthen rural health care teams and improve access to care.

“We are very pleased to be selected for these grants,” said Diane Thorson, Otter Tail County Public Health Director. “We will be working with Ringdahl Ambulance and a number of community partners to improve access to primary health care and decrease the use of expensive emergency room care by using the emerging profession of Community Paramedics.”

Organizations involved in the planning of the project included Otter Tail Public Health, Ringdahl Ambulance Service, Otter Tail County Human Services, Lakeland Mental Health Center, Lake Region Healthcare and the long term care providers within the Fergus Falls area.

Read full story: Grants awarded to start community paramedic program [UPDATED]