EMS Operations and Processes

The primary goal of the Rural Community Ambulance Agency Transformation Readiness Assessment and associated resources is to help ambulance agency leaders in rural America assess the state of their agency’s readiness in the core competency areas created following the Small Rural Hospital Blueprint for Performance Excellence and Value, adapted specifically for rural ambulance agencies from the Baldridge Excellence Framework for Health Care.

Operations and Processes core competencies for the ambulance agency include:

Staff performs operational, clinical, and business processes as efficiently as possible.
Staff utilizes health information technology (e.g., electronic patient care record (e-PCR), health information exchanges, and telemedicine) to manage care effectively.
Staff routinely consult primary care providers or other patient care coordinators responsible for the patients enrolled or otherwise seen in community paramedicine activities.
Community paramedicine e-PCRs are integrated with medical office, hospitals, and other electronic health records for ease of communication among all practitioners responsible for a patient's ongoing care.