Taking more calls

A near doubling of 911 calls over the past 10 years, combined with a hefty increase in non-emergency patient transfers has Superior North EMS searching for new ways to do business.

The organization plans to spend about $100,000 on a consultant study to come up with a new strategic plan their chief hopes will make them more efficient and effective.

"We feel that the status quo cannot be maintained without some changes to service delivery somehow," said Superior North EMS chief Norm Gale on Monday afternoon. "The consultants will assist us in that process.

"This has nothing to do with complaints from the public, although I can tell you there are some problems with service delivery that we have, particularly with response to non-emergency transfers. Having said that, this is a process we’ve initiated because I feel that we have an obligation."

In 2000, Superior North EMS responded to 10,487 emergency calls. By 2009 that number had risen to 18,444, a 75.8 per cent increase.

Gale laid the blame for the rise in a few specific areas, saying a lack of health care professionals in the area have left many people with no choice but to call 911 when a medical issue arrives.

Societal ills, mainly increased drug and alcohol use, are the other major drain on the system, he said, and while they have increased staffing numbers over the past decade, they haven’t been able to keep pace with demand.

Non-emergency transfers, especially from hospitals in the district where distance is the major obstacle, patients are experiencing much longer waits, sometimes as long as a couple of days.

It’s a service Gale isn’t sure his organization should necessarily be providing.

"There is a gap. There is a void, where someone requires transportation say from Marathon to and from Thunder Bay. There are challenges to providing that transportation."

He’s hopeful that the consultants, who are expected to start this coming fall, might uncover an alternative, perhaps a private company, willing to take on that end of the business.

"An ambulance with two paramedics is not necessarily the best method to transport that person … We face significant challenges in responding to requests for that transportation."

Gale said it’s particularly difficult in smaller communities, which could be left without immediate emergency service while a patient is being transferred.

He’s not sure what the ultimate answer is.

"The alternatives have not been flushed out," Gale said. "For example, if the private sector wanted to do it, is there sufficient funding from somewhere for the private sector to do that, or can the private sector generate enough revenue to sustain the service."

Among the areas being looked at in the study are district station locations and patterns, how to improve relationships with regional hospitals and other health agencies, capacity issues and a possible increase of CPR training for the general public.