Southwest Minnesota EMS has been awarded $9.9 million in federal funding to equip 109 ambulances across 18 counties with telemedicine services.
The funding, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program, will help improve trauma care in rural areas by providing video access to emergency physicians, paramedics, and nurses through Avel eCare.
The program builds off a pilot program launched by Murray County Ambulance, which successfully used Avel eCare to enhance patient care. The telemedicine service offers critical guidance to EMTs, reducing the pressure on rural ambulance crews and improving patient outcomes, particularly for those needing acute care or hospital transfers.
Southwest Minnesota EMS collaborated with the University of Minnesota and Toward Zero Deaths to secure the funding, aiming to reduce traffic fatalities and improve emergency care. With long travel times in rural areas, telemedicine is expected to play a key role in providing timely care, particularly during the critical “Golden Hour” after an accident.
The program will also be studied by the Minnesota Department of Health and the University of Minnesota to assess its impact on trauma care outcomes.
