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| Date: | March 18, 2011 | | Contact Name: | Sandra Whalen | | Contact Phone: | 651-296-5238 | | Contact Email: | sandra.whalen@senate.mn | | For Immediate Release | |
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| SEN. ROSEN'S COMMUNITY PARAMEDIC BILL ENDORSED UNANIMOUSLY IN SENATE Author says the bill is step toward reform, helps rural areas |
(St. Paul) – A bill sponsored by Senator Julie Rosen (R-Fairmont) to allow experienced paramedics to become certified by the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board as “community paramedics” has passed the Senate with unanimous support.
The measure would allow paramedics to be certified after 120 additional hours of training. As community health workers, they could provide a new avenue for citizens to access health care, and prevent the inappropriate use of ambulance services and hospital emergency department resources.
Under the proposal, certain EMS personnel could provide health services and advanced levels of care for prevention, emergency care, evaluation, triage, disease management and referrals. Such procedures would be covered by Medical Assistance.
The plan would benefit rural Minnesota, whose citizens are sometimes at a disadvantage to receive the right care, Rosen said. Her goal is to provide additional care with already existing health care resources.
“This is a real step toward reform for our aging rural population,” she said. “We need to address this trend throughout our smaller, outstate communities.”
Senator Rosen worked with the Minnesota Ambulance Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and other health care stakeholders to create this legislation.
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