MEDFORD, Ore. – A local air and ground ambulance service will use new grant money to start an emergency medical services apprenticeship program in Southern Oregon.
Mercy Flights announced this week that it was given $267,813 in the first round of Future Ready Oregon Workforce Ready grants to build a program to help diversify and expand the pool of EMS workers.
Mercy Flights CEO Sheila Clough said, “Over the last three years we have seen the strain of the pandemic hit the EMS sector of healthcare in a way we never thought was imaginable. To put it simply, there are not enough healthcare professionals to meet the demand of the communities they serve. This isn’t just a Southern Oregon problem; we are seeing this across the county.”
According to Mercy Flights, the EMS apprenticeship program will provide hands-on education, mentorship, and streamlined access to local EMS resources.
The program is currently going through its first phase, focused on designing the program with community partners, Mercy Flights said.
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