Friday, April 4, 2025
4/4/2025
Expanding EMS recruitment, training and retention in Franklin County Maine - MaineHealth d/b/a Healthy Community Coalition (HCC) will implement this Rural Emergency Medical Services Training Project to recruit and train emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in the federally designated rural catchment area of Franklin County (FC), Maine. HCC will partner with NorthStar, the sole EMS provider in FC to accomplish project goals. NorthStar is part of Franklin Memorial Hospital, which is part of MaineHealth, an integrated not-for-profit health system. Population served is 40,000 and includes EMS personnel, those who could be recruited and trained to serve as EMS personnel, and FC residents. The population like many other rural communities is older, sicker, and poorer. Over 50% of the aging population have more than 3 coexisting chronic illnesses, with 11.8% living below the poverty level. The majority of the population face multiple socioeconomic vulnerabilities. Goals and Objectives include: Goal 1: Increase recruitment, training and retention of EMS personnel in FC, ME by implementing recruitment and training programs. Objectives 1.1: By 9/1/2026, program staff will recruit and orient 30 new EMS personnel. Objective 1.2: By 9/1/ 2026, program staff and partners will provide EMS career exploration or recruitment information to 1000 individuals at 8 career fairs at state-wide middle/high-schools and career centers using both face-to-face, virtual, and social media platforms. Objective 1.3: By 9/1/ 2026, program staff and partners will provide EMS career information and job-shadowing experiences to 30 high-school or college level students. Objective 1.4: By 6/30/ 2026, NorthStar will offer Emergency Medical Response training to 20 local fire department and law enforcement officers and potential volunteer first responders. Objective 1.5: By 9/1/ 2026, NorthStar will strengthen retention strategies to engage 80% of EMS personnel in career expansion programs (i.e., providing training to expand trainees’ competence, skills, certifications, and credentials). Objective 1.6: By 9/1/ 2026, train 10 EMS providers to the Instructor Level to support EMS professional development. Goal 2: Provide EMS personnel with trauma-informed, recovery-based training to understand and provide safe, stigma free treatment for mental health and substance use disorders (SUD), co-occurring disorders (COD) in emergency situations, and provide appropriate follow-up care. This goal and objectives directly align with the need to increase EMS personnel’s knowledge of mental health disorders, SUD, and COD, and how to care for these individuals in emergency situations. Objective 2.1: By 9/1/ 2026, 100 EMS personnel will have received mental health and substance use disorder training via SAMHSA’s Technology Transfer Centers, or alternate platform. Objective 2.2: By 9/1/ 2026, 100% of NorthStar EMS personnel will have received training for best practices in harm reduction, including Naloxone administration. Objective 2.3: By 9/1/ 2026, Stigma prevention, trauma-informed, recovery-based care and motivational interviewing trainings will be provided to reach 75 EMS personnel, including 911 dispatch operators. Goal 3: To ensure EMS personnel have the equipment and training tools needed to provide high quality care. This goal and related objectives align with the need for frequent training and refresher courses to maintain complex skills. Objective 3.1: By 9/1/ 2026, NorthStar staff will have purchased and put into service the appropriate SAMHSA approved EMS medical equipment and supplies needed to complete project goals.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).