A higher level of medical care

[Hutchinson Leader, October 17, 2012] Ambulance service in Hutchinson has reached a higher level during the past 10 months since Allina Health Emergency Medical Service took over.

An ambulance crew is now stationed at Hutchinson Community Hospital around the clock. Until this year, during most overnight hours, paramedics and emergency medical technicians were paged from their homes. Average response time — the time from when an ambulance crew receives a dispatch to when it reaches the patient — has been shaved by minutes. In Hutchinson, the average response time now is about seven minutes.

Those calling 911 now receive ambulance pre-arrival instructions from a dispatcher on how to assist the patients, from administering CPR to delivering a baby. Staffing levels have increased from 13 employees to more than 20, creating more comfortable work schedules for paramedics and EMTs.