The Granite Falls Ambulance

The Granite Falls Ambulance provides the town of Granite Falls, Minnesota, and the surrounding communities with ALS (Advanced Life Support) and BLS (Basic Life Support) services. The service is operated and based from the Granite Falls Hospital. This supports active involvement within the hospital as well as prehospital. Many of the members of the ambulance crew are involved with other positions and activities within the hospital. The service makes approximately 600 emergency runs per year. The ambulance service is involved with emergency care and transfers to and from the Granite Falls Municipal Hospital, or other hospitals in the area. The ambulance team is also capable of intercepting and assisting other BLS ambulance services in the area. The Granite Falls Ambulance Service currently maintains the contract for the Veterans Administration for greater southwestern Minnesota. The ambulance service currently has three ambulances, all with state of the art equipment and a full spectrum of ALS medications. All three are capable of providing ALS or BLS services, as patient needs dictate.

People:
The Granite Falls Ambulance Service employ a variety of highly trained and dedicated individuals. We believe our people make our service a very unique and special part of the health care team. At the present time, they have three RN/ paramedic's, Gene Hughes, Director, Stacy Wolff, and Mary Blake. Cindi Hughes and Billie Rillo are RN/EMT-B's. We have five other Paramedics, Jana Ohliger, Mark McClenahan, Katie Phinney, Holly Johnson, Joe Nielson. EMTs include Barb Fry, Bill Dinesen, Bonnie Parsons, Dawn Sodersrom, Janelle Nielsen, Jen Brunner, Kathy Hawk, Keith Samples, Koleen Sperl, Melodie Hobbie, Sam Canatsey, Susan Johnson, and Seth Streblow. Two Granite Falls Police Department members are also EMT-Bs, Joel Beninga and Brian Struffert. First Responder Aaron Bakkelund rounds out the 26-person crew. The ambulance crew are active members of the comprehensive health care team of Granite Falls. Many are currently working toward nursing degrees or in other departments of our fine hospital. Support for the service also comes from the Hospital Administrator and the Board of Directors. They realize the needs of our rural community. They are also avid supporters of this special healthcare team. Medical direction for the hospital based ambulance service comes from our co-medical directors. They are Dr. Arthur Rillo and Dr. Darrell Carter. They have both been very active in their rolls as medical directors. Dr. Carter won the national award for Physician of the Year in 2004. With their leadership, the service is very aggressive and stays on top of changes in EMS. The Comprehensive Advanced Life Support theme of "team care" is a key part of our training. It proves invaluable in the high level of expert cares that are provided for the patient. The EMT's and hospital staff work closely together within this CALS approach, in providing only the best of care for the patients of this area.

Training:
In addition to providing emergency and transfer care, the Granite Falls Ambulance Service is dedicated to teaching both staff and community members in healthcare. The service provides both initial and renewal CPR classes. Each year, over 1000 individuals are trained in CPR by members of the Granite Falls Ambulance staff. The service has instructors who are DOT certified and teach a variety of pre-hospital courses. Both initial and renewal classes are taught in First Aid, First Responder, EMT-B courses as well. Additionally, they do training in CPR and first responder training for Prairie's Edge Casino, and many local businesses and other area communities. ACLS and PALS courses are taught for our facility and other local hospitals. Members of the ambulance service, along with other hospital staff, work to maintain the educational level of the area. In addition to teaching within the community, the Granite Falls Ambulance staff are continually learning new techniques and new skills. All EMT's are IV certified and can administer variance-approved medications. Monthly meetings and routine guidance by the medical staff have led the staff to be always found in the forefront of quality patient care.

Anyone seriously interested in joining this excellent health care team,
please feel free to contact me at these numbers or
send your resume to the address listed below.
Contact numbers are:
(320) 564-6274 Office (320) 564-3111 Hospital
Granite Falls Ambulance
345 10th Ave Granite Falls, MN 56241
Gene Hughes - Ambulance Director