Minnesota's 'Sprint Medic" program is entering final year to prove its worth in rural counties

The state-funded pilot program deploys quick response vehicles and even helicopters across Grant, Otter Tail, and St. Louis counties, with the goal to strengthen local volunteer ambulance networks, and to combat severe paramedic shortages.

Dylan Ferguson with the Minnesota Office of Emergency Medical Services says in the two years since the program was launched, it's saved dozens of lives.

"Having that advance life support in a more timely fashion is certainly impacting patient outcomes," Ferguson explains. "It is getting advanced care to patients sooner.

He says the state will evaluate performance data to determine if the model should be permanently expanded statewide as they look to become a permanent solution to rural healthcare gaps.

The program deploys quick-response ambulances, all-wheel-drive SUVs and even helicopters. The average EMS response time is 22 minutes in Otter Tail County, which is far longer than in the metro area, and can be life-threatening for people who need emergency care.

For comparison, in the Twin Cities, average emergency medical service response times typically range from 7 to 10 minutes for life-threatening, high-priority 911 calls. Across the state as a whole, 90% of all emergency responses arrive in about 15 minutes and 55 seconds or less15 minutes and 55 seconds or less, significantly less than what they are seeing in Otter Tail County, and other extremely rural areas.

Ferguson says this program can change that.

"It can be difficult to have two crew members, staffed on call, ready to go with the sprint medic model," Ferguson adds. "We're able to pair that sprint paramedic with one EMT and create a full crew."

The state legislature has until June 30, 2027 to review the program's performance and decide if it will become a permanent resource.