$3 85 million fund for emergency care in Alberta communities
Episode Stats
Words per Minute
119.731155
Summary
$3.85 million is dedicated to supporting our emergency medical services across the province through the Medical First Response Program. This will be done through two investment streams, each targeting areas of improvement within our EMS system, so these investments will directly benefit more than 200 medical first responders across our province, including the Gibbons Fire Department.
Transcript
00:00:00.000
$3.85 million in funding dedicated to supporting our emergency medical services across the province through the Medical First Response Program.
00:00:12.360
This will be done through two investment streams, each targeting areas of improvement within our EMS system.
00:00:19.620
So these investments will directly benefit more than 200 medical first response partner agencies across our province, including the Gibbons Fire Department.
00:00:31.400
These agencies are an essential part of our emergency response network and are heroes to those in their times of greatest need.
00:00:40.400
They provide critical care to our loved ones when every second counts.
00:00:44.880
Many of these responders are volunteers and are sometimes pulled away from their day-to-day lives at a moment's notice to rush into the unknown.
00:00:55.900
And I just want to take a moment to say thank you to anyone who has stepped up to help their community in this capacity.
00:01:02.220
And I know some of them are here today, so thank you so, so very much.
00:02:33.860
million dollars. This initiative will ease financial burdens associated with
00:02:39.080
delivering emergency services in these areas, ensuring equitable access to
00:02:43.520
life-saving care for all Albertans no matter where they live in our province.
00:02:49.380
We are at a crucial moment in health care in Alberta as we move forward with
00:02:56.460
our work to refocus the health care service delivery model. As part of this
00:03:01.100
effort we're prioritizing reducing EMS response times and enhancing access to
00:03:06.840
care in rural areas across the province. Ensuring timely access to high quality
00:03:13.160
health care in rural areas and indigenous communities is vital to improving
00:03:18.100
health care delivery and patient outcomes. Prompt response times can make a
00:03:23.220
life-saving difference in emergencies such as heart attacks, strokes, or traumatic
00:03:27.980
injuries. Improving access to care in these communities will help bridge
00:03:32.240
health care disparities between urban and rural populations, ensuring that everyone
00:03:37.580
receives timely treatment. By addressing the specific needs of rural Alberta we can
00:03:44.340
build a more resilient and unified health care system that meets the diverse
00:03:48.620
needs of our population. This approach will require continued collaboration
00:03:54.500
between our government, health care providers, EMS agencies, and community partners to
00:04:00.240
effectively implement and sustain these changes. The medical first response program
00:04:06.560
embodies our collective commitment to excellence in emergency care provision and
00:04:11.540
reflects our dedication to the well-being of Albertans. As we move forward we
00:04:16.740
remain committed to strengthening emergency medical services and safeguarding the
00:04:21.140
health and safety of every Albertan. Together we can make a real difference in the
00:04:26.480
lives of all Albertans. We very much appreciate government support and action on EMS
00:04:31.160
priorities and helping us expand this funding to our partners. MFR responders are
00:04:36.860
important partners that correspond with EMS to many 911 emergencies across the
00:04:41.000
province providing on-scene support prior to EMS arrival and working as a team
00:04:45.020
once paramedics arrive. They're key in the chain of survival and a value partner by
00:04:49.640
all paramedics. AHS EMS is committed to working with medical first responders, their
00:04:55.160
municipalities, and indigenous communities to ensure residents have access to high
00:04:59.060
quality service when and where they need it. The Minister has outlined new funding
00:05:04.040
available and our partners here in Gibbons are receiving funding from both the
00:05:08.140
streams the Minister outlined, helping this dedicated team to continue to bring the best
00:05:12.040
service to their community and in the surrounding area. We greatly appreciate
00:05:17.500
all of our MFR partners and the people that do the work every day across the
00:05:21.700
province and working alongside paramedics. We know that together we continue to work
00:05:26.440
to bring emergency care to Albertans when and where they need it. It's a great
00:05:30.100
honour to have the Minister come to our this location to announce a new era in
00:05:34.240
medical first response. The Gibbons Fire Department has been involved in
00:05:38.440
medical response since 2016. This program enhances the medical services not only for
00:05:44.740
the residents of Gibbons but to all of our Alberta. By having first responders
00:05:49.720
showing up when the ambulance partners are en route or need that extra set of
00:05:53.200
hands to assist them is an asset that we all really appreciate. The increased funding
00:05:59.140
will help us train more firefighters and medical response enable us to have a
00:06:02.900
larger amount of skilled members to better assist with not only medical first
00:06:07.680
response but all responses requiring medical assistance. I look forward to
00:06:12.360
continuing this service working side by side with Alberta Health Services to
00:06:16.320
ensure people of Alberta continue to receive the cure they need when and where