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State Representative Duane Quam
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-9236
For more information contact: Jason Wenisch 651-296-2317
NEWS COLUMN
COMMUNITY PARAMEDICS COULD EASE SHORTAGE OF RURAL HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
Few will argue that there is a shortage of health professionals in rural Minnesota. This is especially troubling to those who are on medical assistance, as often times they have to travel great distances or be transported at great cost to meet the requirements of their coverage.
In order to help these folks and ease the medical expert crunch in our rural areas, I am co-authoring a bill that expands the definition of a community health worker and expands how they can best utilize their knowledge and experience.
According to current law, medical assistance will cover care provided by a community health worker if the professional has received a certificate from MnSCU facility, and has at least five years of supervised experience with a doctor or nurse. As part of this bill, one more provision would be added allowing the care to be provided by a certified paramedic, who has completed additional special training.
Paramedics are obviously qualified to care for ailing patients. They have the medical knowledge, they are trained on the proper equipment, and they work alongside other medical professionals. By improving this community health worker legislation, rural Minnesota can put their expertise to better use.
For instance, there are many times when a paramedic arrives at a patient’s home and has to transport them by ambulance to see a physician. Anyone who has ever paid for an ambulance ride knows how expensive this can be. If the medical call isn’t an emergency, why not allow the certified paramedic to provide the support the patient needs right there in his home?
Adding certified paramedics to the community health worker definition would not only be convenient for the patient, it would also be cost-effective. There’s no doubt rural Minnesota needs more health professionals, and this bill would take a good first step towards increasing those numbers.
News Items
- Legislative Update from Rep. Duane Quam - (Posted: Jan 11 2013 3:55PM)
- CLARIFYING MISCONCEPTIONS ON SEVERAL BILLS - (Posted: 2012-04-05 00:00:00)
- SIGNIFICANT BILLS BEING PASSED OFF HOUSE FLOOR - (Posted: 2012-03-30 00:00:00)
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