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– Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Jordan Erie, left, chief of emergency services at Humboldt County Memorial Hospital, speaks with Gov. Kim Reynolds Wednesday at the hospital’s new emergency services building. Victor Bycroft, the hospital’s chief nurse, listens.
HUMBOLDT – Ambulances at Humboldt County Memorial Hospital are stationed in a new building and are on call at all times.
Gov. Kim Reynolds wants to make sure these rigs, and the hundreds of others like them across the state, are always properly staffed.
Reynolds visited the hospital’s new emergency services building on Wednesday.
The approximately $1 million structure has three drive-through garage spaces that can accommodate up to six ambulances. It opened last year and Reynolds was invited to see it at the time. She couldn’t make it then but made up for it by visiting on Wednesday.
Speaking to a small group of hospital workers, Reynolds spoke of the need to hire and train future health workers by starting with young people who are still in high school.
– Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Victor Bycroft, Chief Nurse Executive at Humboldt County Memorial Hospital, greets Gov. Kim Reynolds Wednesday at the hospital’s new EMS building.
“We must try to arouse their interest,” She said.
She spoke about a Pella Career Academy program in Pella that trains students to become certified nursing assistants, laboratory technicians and surgical technicians. She said these students can get paid while they train.
According to Reynolds, when the program started, there was one student. The next year, she said, there were 20 students.
This program does not train paramedics, but Reynolds suggested that a similar program could eventually be established to do so.
She said money from the federal COVID relief bill, the American Rescue Plan Act, can be used for these types of medical training programs. She described it as “a great use of ARPA funding.”
– Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Three of Humboldt County Memorial Hospital’s four ambulances can be seen in the hospital’s new EMS building. The building accommodates six ambulances and a small bus operated by the hospital. The building has also been used for drive-thru flu vaccination clinics and drive-through COVID testing.
She said she wants to continue building these types of training programs.
“If this works, we will put more money into it” She said.
About EMS in Humboldt
Humboldt County Memorial Hospital operates an emergency medical service staffed by both paid and volunteer staff.
The team consists of approximately 25 members including paramedics, paramedics and ambulance drivers who are certified in CPR. Jordan Erie is the Chief of Emergency Services.
– Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Xavier Nicholas, paramedic at Humboldt County Memorial Hospital, speaks with Gov. Kim Reynolds Wednesday inside the hospital’s new emergency services building.
The service has paramedics who provide the highest level of pre-hospital care and are on call 24 hours a day.
It serves Humboldt and most of Humboldt County except for the Renwick area. It serves as a backup for the Renwick ambulance unit.
About the EMS building
The approximately 4,000 square meter building was completed last summer. It cost about $1 million.
It has three drive-through garage spaces that can accommodate up to six ambulances. The hospital now has four ambulances.
A fourth garage bay, which is not a drive-through bay, houses the hospital’s bus.
The building was used for drive-through COVID testing and flu vaccination clinics.
