From the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health

The Wisconsin Office of Rural Health is holding a series of EMS listening sessions in rural areas across the state in October and November of this year.

The intent is to give a platform for rural EMS providers to describe their work, and the conditions in which they operate. Wisconsin has seen a steady decrease in volunteerism over the last two decades, and municipal budgets are stretched very thin, leading to the closure of several rural services in the last few years. The final portion of the evening will be dedicated to sharing ideas for solutions that could help rural EMS providers to keep their doors open while providing quality patient care.

At each event, state legislators, county and municipal leaders, hospital leadership, and citizens at large will be invited to attend. The messages from the meetings should echo beyond that room, to the policy makers that can address the situation.

These events are held in collaboration with the WI EMS Association (WEMSA), the Professional Ambulance Association of WI (PAAW), the WI State Fire Chiefs Association (WSFCA), the Professional Firefighters of WI (PFFW), and the WI EMS Board.

Locations and Dates Scheduled:

• Spooner: Monday, October 8th, from 6:30-8:30pm at Spooner Health System Hospital, 1280 Chandler Drive, Spooner (Classrooms A and B)
  
• Woodruff: Tuesday, October 9th, from 6:30-8:30pm at Howard Young Medical Center, 240 Maple St, Woodruff
  
• Oconto Falls: Wednesday, October 10th, from 6:30-8:30pm at HSHS St. Clare’s Memorial Hospital, 855 S Main St, Oconto Falls
  
• Boscobel: Wednesday, November 7th, from 6:30-8:30pm at Gundersen Boscobel Area Hospital (specific location tbd)
  

For updated information on rooms and locations, and new sites as they are added to the list, please visit: http://worh.org/events/rural-ems-listening-sessions