Onida EMS among first to implement Telemedicine In Motion

During her budget address before the 2022 legislature on January 11, 2022, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem lauded the work of the Onida Ambulance Service and announced a $20 million initiative to support emergency responders with modern tools.

A year later, the Onida Fire Department and Ambulance Service was among the first to implement the Telemedicine in Motion Avel eCare program. "Onida was the sixth community to have Avel installed," said OFD Chief Caleb Shepherd. "We were in the first group to sign up for the program."

Shepherd says the system is very user friendly. "A simple phone call activates the system."

The OFD conducted rigorous testing of the program, driving to all corners of the county to make sure there weren't any communication dead zones. "It works with both the Verizon and AT&T cellular networks, so there were no dead zones," said Shepherd.

An element of the program that Shepherd likes is it offers the ability to have a doctor or Registered Nurse on board to review patient vitals. "You’re able to rule out certain emergencies, which has come into play in Onida several times. It's very positive from a patient standpoint."

Shepherd says it also improves communication among the first responders. "It takes a lot of pressure off the EMTs as far as determining if they need to call for an ambulance intercept from Pierre. Since they are working with a doctor or nurse who isn't physically in the ambulance with them, they have to vocalize what they’re doing. It opens up communication between the EMTs and Avel, and makes everybody a better technician."

The OFD intends to utilize the program every time they are called out. It is the program's goal to have 60 services signed up to use it by May 2023.

By collaborating with Avel eCare, the South Dakota Department of Health aims to combine the resources of various organizations to ultimately improve outcomes for the state. This includes Avel providing hardware, software, installation, training, and support, along with supervision to assist EMS providers as they use this technology.

Through Telemedicine in Motion, Avel will provide virtual triage and consulting services to EMS professionals through two-way audio and video in the back of the ambulance. This initiative will improve the coordination of care between our EMS providers and hospitals.

This statewide initiative is the first of its kind and is a pioneering opportunity to advance care to patients and support pre-hospital professionals.

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