Page 22 - TTMNFallWinter2025

Health
Page 22 Electronic Edition: www.teachingtodaymn.com

Emergency Care: Service and Skills in Action

All of the volunteer hours
throughout the year prepares
students for their credential-
ing exams and for future jobs.
Last year, 30 students achieved
their EMT certifications and 29
achieved their EMR. Over the
past two years, 57 students have
attained their EMT certification.
That’s a new high.
“Right now, the passing rate
on the test is 100 percent,” says
Bill. “National pass rate is some-
thing like 70 percent.”
As the new year begins,
class enrollments for Nursing
Assistant, Emergency Medical
Technician and Emergency
Medical Responder are maxed
out. It is the first year there will
be two nursing assistant sections
all year. These are double block
classes, taking up two hours
per day, which is a big commit-
Spring Lake Park Schools ence, "Don't strive to be a person of success, ment in addition to the volunteer
instead, strive to be a person of value." hours.
After a summer of service and skill
building, students in Opportunities in Summer of service and skills “Grads come in and help
Emergency Care (OEC) — part of the out,” says Bill, “hundreds of
Health and Human Services pathway at Practicing skills through hours of them throughout the year. We field, the principles taught in OEC are still
Spring Lake Park High School, are back on service doesn’t just happen during the couldn’t do this without them. We get them foundational to the assessment and manage-
the sidelines of fall athletics. You are likely school year. OEC students are racking up from all over the map - some who graduated ment of every patient I see,” says Sophia.
to see them polishing skills and gaining the practice in volunteer gigs throughout the last year to some who graduated 40 years Another more recent graduate, Philip
experience through volunteer service in summer, too. ago.” Apel, Class of 2025, texted Bill in the last
our community. The 2025 Target USA CUP, hosted at They come back because the experi-
the National Sports Center in Blaine, was the ence, for those that continue on in a medical weeks of August. Philip is in school at a
After 38 years teaching in the Oppor- largest in the 40-year history. Bill served as field, is invaluable. major clinic to become a Physician’s Assis-
tunities in Emergency Care program, Bill the field medical coordinator and 75 percent Sophia Park, a graduate from 2019, tant.
Neiss admits, “Fall is like being shot out of of the volunteers came from the OEC recently contacted Bill with some reflections “Much of the EMT foundation knowl-
a cannon.” program at Spring Lake Park High School. on her high school experience. She’s now in edge has been useful, and especially the
From early September to mid-October, Bill put in 116 hours during the week of medical school. clinical reasoning skills that we learn as a
OEC students volunteered at more than 30 competition. part of scenarios and decision making,” he
athletic events. Football games, hockey try- “We had 127 volunteers on the medical shared. “I have no doubt they will continue
outs, state soccer games, softball games, a team who completed 832 calls,” says Bill. “I knew I was going the to become even more useful as clinicals
marathon – through supporting these events, “There were 290 injuries that got transported medical school track very start. I am grateful I got to be a part of
students learn on the job. to the clinic, and five ambulance transports.” early on, but the advice I heard the program, and I still miss it sometimes.
One certified Emergency Medical Tech- Bill noted the “wild weather.” The first from online, social media, Hoping I will be able to make it back to vol-
nician is responsible at each event – for the day was hot and humid, and the next day the and advisors was to prioritize unteer in the winter.”
care of any patients and mentoring students. team was running to the school for blankets.
Newer students are just learning - watching The adventures continued as 22 people Advanced Placement classes
and seeing what it's like to be part of the with ties to the OEC program traveled to the over courses like Opportunities
team. They get tips on how to talk to patients, Dominican Republic on a medical mission in Emergency Care. Looking springlakeparkschools.org
do assessments and provide simple care. trip. Seven were Class of 2025 grads from back, I think having the
Each student in Emergency Medical Tech- Spring Lake Park High School – all certified experience from OEC would
nician and Emergency Medical Responder EMTs. During the trip, they saw 480 patients have been a game changer,
courses is required to volunteer 10 hours and participated in training 25 doctors and in med school applications,
each trimester. These hours are critical for nurses in pediatrics, intubation, ultrasound, classes, and clinical years.”
improving skills through practice. CPR and EKG interpretation. —Sophia Park, 2019 grad
Bill and John Lindstrom, who teaches “When we go there, we are stationed in
firefighter courses in the OEC program, split San Juan,” says Bill. “Then we do four days
up the events to provide oversight, often of mobile medical clinics in barrios.” She’s noted the advantage students with
after teaching five classes over the course of The crew reported on remarkable blood hands on experience have in medical school.
the day. pressure numbers, high blood sugar and the “Some of the ‘ABCs’ of emergency
"It's just what we do," says Bill. need for vitamins. Practicing their skills medicine that I am learning for the first time
He knows how important the real-life away from home, they gained another level in medical school are already second nature
practice is and also what it means to serve of new insight. to some of the students who went through
the community. His email signature sums up OEC courses in high school. Even though
what he tries to instill in the program experi- A new year I’m not going into the emergency medicine