To better serve patients on the northern edge of the county, Tri-County Health Care (TCHC) now stations one of its three ambulances in the Menahga area each day. The daily presence is intended to allow TCHC to better serve patients during peak call times when call volume increases by nearly 25 percent.
"The strategic decision to locate an ambulance in the Menahga area will help us decrease response times to our patients in the northern parts of the Tri-County Health Care services area when call volume peaks," said Allen Smith, TCHC Emergency Response Manager.
The EMS team from TCHC will be stationed in the Menahga area daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. when call volume is traditionally at its highest. "We have five years of data collection to show that during this 12-hour time frame our calls for service peak to the area," said Smith. "We utilized a computer-based system where historical call data was used to deploy the ambulance fleet for optimal response times."
The additional coverage in the Sebeka/Menahga area will not impact care in the other parts of the TCHC service area. Services provided will remain available in the Wadena area and emergency transfers will continue to be done immediately by the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) crew posted in Wadena. "We have also increased our call back crew to assist with increased volumes during the busy summer season, which should also result in less time waiting for non-emergency transfers," said Smith.
The presence of the ambulance will be monitored and the plan will be reviewed periodically and modified as necessary to best meet the needs of patients in the Tri-County Health Care service area.
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"I am proud to be part of an organization that supports its mission to improve the health of the communities it serves," said Smith. "Stationing an EMS team in strategic locations, along with our excellent first responder groups in the area, allows my staff to respond sooner and continue to do what they do best - save lives."
