Michael Howie
The Times, Munster, Ind.
(TNS)
The Crown Point Fire Department has new funding to support its Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) program with plans to launch in early 2025.
In late August, the Crown Point Fire Department received a $75,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, the City of Crown Point said Tuesday. The funds can be used for MIH program equipment, software, medical devices or vehicles.
According to notes from the first homeland security MIH Advisory Committee meeting in August of 2020, MIH programs attempt to redefine the work of EMS, turning the service into more than just a mode of transportation to the hospital. The program gives EMS personnel the training and equipment needed to provide health care, so a hospital visit is not necessary.
MIH programs have become more popular in Indiana in recent years. Including the Crown Point Fire Department, there are seven MIH program providers in Lake County and 122 across the state, according to the Indiana MIH Dashboard.
Crown Point Fire Chief Mark Baumgardner said the next step towards launching the program is to acquire the necessary equipment and begin training.
The MIH program will offer post-hospital follow-up and readmission prevention, diabetic counseling and monitoring, chronic disease management, substance abuse mitigation, newborn and elderly management programs.
It will also try to decrease the usage of EMS from high-frequency users.
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