Wisconsin Flex Program Details
Location: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Number of CAHs: 59
Web site: http://www.worh.org/
Rural Assistance Center State Resources
Wisconsin Top Three Flex Activities in 2009
- Developing resources, including an informational website, to help CAHs become "Meaningful Users"
- The Wisconsin Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Reduction Project
- A pilot study aimed at reducing the incidence of "Frequent Flyers" of emergency services
Wisconsin Flex Program Success Story
In September 2007 the WI Office of Rural Health Flex Program awarded a Rural Community Grant to Upland Hills Health in Dodgeville for the "Iowa County AutoPulse Project." Upland Hills Health formed a Coalition, which included Dodgeville and Mineral Point EMS and the Iowa County Sheriff’s Department. As a justification for their request, the Coalition noted that Iowa County ranked in the top 4 counties in the state for deaths due to coronary heart disease.
The coalition used grant funds to purchase two AutoPulse units. These devices perform hands-free chest compressions on cardiac patients; an improvement over manual chest compressions. The devices provide regular compressions at the appropriate rate and free an EMT to work on other patients or provide additional care. The AutoPulse unit can continue compressions during transport, when EMTs are required to wear seat belts, restricting their ability to perform compressions. Grant funds were also used to train Sheriff's Deputies and EMS volunteers throughout the County on using the Autopulse device. (The units are housed with Dodgeville and Mineral Point services but transferred to other services, such as Avoca and Arena, as requested for emergencies.) In total, the units in these communities been placed on approximately 20 patients resulting in approximately 5 saves. One of these units was placed on a patient who had brain damage, but it extended life long enough to allow the family time to say goodbye to their loved one and make the important decision to harvest the organs. Additional EMS agencies in the County have purchased their own devices after their positive experiences.
