EMS QI Initiative
Time Sensitive Illness and Injury Quality Improvement Initiative
Mission
“To reduce death and disability of Montanans who experience time sensitive illness or injury through evidence-based best practices, education, and data-driven continuous quality improvement.”
Data Utilization
To increase data accessibility and utilization, EMSTS provides all EMS agencies with a confidential QI report 4 times per year, highlighting their performance on evidence-based measures specific to Stroke, Chest Pain/STEMI, Cardiac Arrest, Severe Trauma, Traumatic Brain Injury, Motor Vehicle Crash, and Safety. Statewide data is publicly available (See EMS QI Reports tab below).
EMS Agency Recognition Program
EMS Agencies can choose to participate in a variety of TSII-specific recognition programs:
- Chest pain/STEMI
- Stroke
- Cardiac Arrest
- TBI
Additional recognition programs may be added in the future
EMSTS has developed criteria based on standards of equipment, training, documentation, and QI activity that EMS agencies can use to evaluate, improve, and maintain their performance. This provides a mechanism for agencies to be formally recognized for their hard work to ultimately improve patient outcomes in time sensitive emergencies.
If your agency is interested in participating, please review the Program Overview and submit the NOI form to Janet Trethewey. (See TSII Recognition Program tab below).
Education
Education will be provided in continuous quality improvement using the State of Montana EMS Data System. Education on TSII will also be offered through an agreement with Simulation in Motion – MT (SIM-MT).
View the most recent TSII Training Coverage Map.
These reports show national and state-level performance on selected EMS QI measures covering a variety of TSII topics. Agency-level reports are distributed by email to service managers and medical directors. A sample agency report can be found here. Contact with questions, comments, or if your agency has not received a report.
- Montana EMS QI Report (2022-present)
- 2021 Q3-Q4
TSII Documentation Guides
Applied
Criteria Met
Plus Criteria
| Performance Improvement Initiative | Agency Recognitions | |||||
| Agency | Chest Pain/MI | Stroke | OHCA | TBI | MT EPIC | EMSC |
| A-1 AMBULANCE | ||||||
| ABSAROKEE RURAL FIRE DISTRICT | ||||||
| AMERICAN MEDICAL RESPONSE (BILLINGS) | |
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| AMERICAN MEDICAL RESPONSE (BOZEMAN) | |
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| ANACONDA FIRE | ||||||
| ARLEE AMBULANCE SERVICE | |
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| AUGUSTA VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| AVON VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT & QRU | ||||||
| BEARTOOTH EMS & RESCUE | ||||||
| BEAVERHEAD EMS | ||||||
| BELT VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE | |
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| BEST PRACTICE MEDICINE | ||||||
| BIG HORN COUNTY AMBULANCE | ||||||
| BIG MOUNTAIN FIRE & RESCUE | ||||||
| BIG SANDY VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| BIG SKY FIRE DEPARTMENT | ||||||
| BIGFORK FIRE DISTRICT | ||||||
| BILLINGS CLINIC BROADWATER | ||||||
| BITTERROOT HEALTH AMBULANCE | |
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| BLACKFEET TRIBAL EMS | ||||||
| BLAINE COUNTY AMBULANCE I | ||||||
| BLAINE COUNTY AMBULANCE II | ||||||
| BLAINE COUNTY AMBULANCE III | ||||||
| BOULDER AMBULANCE SERVICE | |
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| CMMC AMBULANCE SERVICE | |
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| CENTRAL VALLEY / BELGRADE CITY | ||||||
| CITY OF BOZEMAN FIRE DEPT | |
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| CITY OF HAVRE AMBULANCE/FIRE DEPARTMENT | |
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| CITY OF WHITEFISH FIRE DEPARTMENT | ||||||
| CLARKS FORK VALLEY AMBULANCE | ||||||
| CLARKSTON FIRE SERVICE AREA | ||||||
| COLSTRIP AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| COLUMBUS RURAL FIRE DISTRICT 3 | |
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| COMMUNITY AMBULANCE OF W SANDERS CO | ||||||
| CONDON/SWAN VALLEY QRU | ||||||
| DAHL MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE AMBULANCE | ||||||
| DANIELS COUNTY AMBULANCE SERVICE | |
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| DENTON AMBULANCE | ||||||
| DRUMMOND VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE | ||||||
| EAGLE AMBULANCE SERVICE, INC. | |
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| EUREKA VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE | |
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| EVERGREEN FIRE RESCUE | ||||||
| FALLON COUNTY AMBULANCE | ||||||
| FISHER RIVER VALLEY FIRE/RESCUE | ||||||
| FORT BELKNAP EMS | ||||||
| FRENCHTOWN RURAL FIRE DISTRICT | ||||||
| GARFIELD AMBULANCE | ||||||
| GATEWAY HOSE COMPANY | ||||||
| GERALDINE COMMUNITY AMBULANCE SERVICE | |
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| GLENDIVE AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| GOLDEN VALLEY QUICK RESPONSE AMBULANCE | ||||||
| GRASS RANGE AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| GRASSHOPPER VALLEY AMBULANCE | ||||||
| GREAT FALLS EMERGENCY SERVICES | |
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| GREAT FALLS FIRE RESCUE | ||||||
| HEBGEN BASIN FIRE DISTRICT | |
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| HILL COUNTY AMBULANCE SERVICE OF RUDYARD | ||||||
| HINSDALE AMBULANCE SERVICE | |
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| HOT SPRINGS COMMUNITY AMBULANCE | ||||||
| HOT SPRINGS FIRE DEPARTMENT AMBULANCE | ||||||
| HYALITE RURAL FIRE DISTRICT | ||||||
| JOLIET EMS INC. | |
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| JUDITH BASIN COUNTY EMS | ||||||
| KALISPELL FIRE/AMBULANCE DEPARTMENT | ||||||
| LAKESIDE QRU, INC | ||||||
| LAUREL VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| LEWISTOWN FIRE RESCUE | |
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| LIBBY VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE | ||||||
| LIBERTY COUNTY AMBULANCE and QRU | ||||||
| LIMA RURAL FIRE DEPARTMENT AND AMBULANCE | ||||||
| LINCOLN VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| LIVINGSTON FIRE RESCUE | |
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| LOCKWOOD RURAL FIRE DISTRICT AMBULANCE | ||||||
| LOGAN HEALTH EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES | ||||||
| MADISON VALLEY AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| MANHATTAN VFD | |
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| MARION FIRE DISTRICT | ||||||
| MEAGHER COUNTY AMBULANCE | ||||||
| MEMORIAL AMBULANCE OF FORT BENTON | |
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| MILES CITY FIRE RESCUE | ||||||
| MISSION VALLEY EMS | ||||||
| MISSOULA CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT TRANSPORT | ||||||
| MISSOULA EMERGENCY SERVICES INC. | |
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| MUSSELSHELL COUNTY AMBULANCE | ||||||
| NORTH VALLEY EMS INC. | ||||||
| NORTHEAST MONTANA HEALTH SERVICES | |
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| NORTHERN CHEYENNE AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| NORTHERN ROCKIES EMS LOGAN HEALTH | ||||||
| PARADISE VALLEY FIRE SERVICE AREA | ||||||
| PARK CITY VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| PETROLEUM COUNTY AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| PHILIPSBURG AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| PHILLIPS COUNTY AMBULANCE | |
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| PLAINS COMMUNITY AMBULANCE | ||||||
| POLSON / RONAN AMBULANCE INC. | |
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| PONDERA LOGAN HEALTH AMBULANCE | |
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| POWDER RIVER COUNTY EMS | |
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| POWELL EMS | |
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| PRAIRIE COUNTY AMBULANCE SERVICE | |
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| PULSE DBA JEFFERSON VALLEY EMS AND RESCUE | |
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| RED LODGE FIRE/RESCUE | |
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| REDWATER VALLEY AMBULANCE SERVICE | |
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| RICHEY AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| RICHLAND COUNTY AMBULANCE | ||||||
| ROCKY BOY HEALTH BOARD AMBULANCE | ||||||
| ROOSEVELT MEMORIAL MC AMBULANCE | |
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| ROSEBUD COUNTY | |
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| ROY AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| RUBY VALLEY EMS | ||||||
| SEELEY LAKE QRU/RURAL FIRE DEPARTMENT | |
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| SHERIDAN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL EMS | ||||||
| SHIELDS FIRE & RESCUE | ||||||
| SMITH VALLEY VFD AMBULANCE | ||||||
| ST PETERS HOSPITAL AMBULANCE | ||||||
| STAT AMBULANCE SERVICE | |
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| STEVENSVILLE CITY & RURAL FIRE DEPT. | ||||||
| SUPERIOR AREA AMBULANCE SERVICE | |
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| SWEET GRASS COUNTY AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| TETON COUNTY AMBULANCE SERVICE | |
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| THOMPSON FALLS AMBULANCE | ||||||
| THREE FORKS AREA AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| THREE MILE FIRE DISTRICT | ||||||
| THREE RIVERS EMS | |
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| TOOLE COUNTY AMBULANCE | |
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| TREASURE COUNTY AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| TROY VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| VICTOR VOLUNTEER RFD QRU | ||||||
| VITALOGY EMS | ||||||
| WEST VALLEY VFD | ||||||
| WHEATLAND COUNTY AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| WIBAUX COUNTY AMBULANCE SERVICE | |
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| WINIFRED COMMUNITY AMBULANCE | ||||||
| WISDOM VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE | ||||||
| WISE RIVER VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY | ||||||
| WORDEN FIRE DEPT & AMBULANCE | ||||||
| YELLOWSTONE MOUNTAIN CLUB RFD | |
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Emergency Cardiovascular Care
Cardiovascular disease, including cardiovascular emergencies, is the leading cause of death in Montana. The ECVC program works to strengthen the system of care within the state to improve outcomes from CV emergencies including Heart Attack, Stroke and Cardiac Arrest.
Specific Projects within the Program include: Improving bystander recognition and activation through the Cardiac Ready Communities project; registering public-access AEDs; strengthening emergency care response by training dispatchers, law enforcement, EMS providers and emergency department staff; recognizing programs for high-functioning systems; data collection for quality improvement (QI) initiatives; and informing all stakeholders of progress and challenges in the system.
For more information contact Janet Trethewey (406) 444-0442.
Becoming a Cardiac Ready Community
Montana is partnering with the Citizen CPR Foundation to help communities become cardiac ready. Please visit their website to get started https://citizencpr.org/heartsafe/.
Other Resources:
Resuscitation Academy
Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation
Take Heart America
Project Adam
The Cardiac Alliance is a “group of groups” all focused on some aspect of Emergency Cardiovascular Care: prevention, recognition, treatment, and rehabilitation. Representatives from a wide variety of organizations meet quarterly to discuss the projects they are working on, issues needing to be addressed, and ways to support each other in their missions.
For more information or to join the Alliance, contact Janet Trethewey or Mike McNamara at DPHHS.
Gallatin Heart Rescue was formed after a miraculous cardiac arrest save in July of 2011 by a bystander initiating CPR. Gallatin Heart Rescue is a product of two EMTs, Kevin Lauer and Mike Pasque, who responded to that emergency. Mike and Kevin recognized the impact early bystander CPR had on the outcome of this call and wanted to increase the number of community members trained in compression-only CPR.
In 2016, Gallatin Heart Rescue became part of the Montana Cardiac Ready Communities Program. Other than a name change to Montana Heart Rescue, the mission is still the same: "To increase the rate of survival from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) within Montana by increasing the rates of bystander CPR through direct involvement in the community." The Cardiac Ready Communities Program continues the work started in 2011 by incorporating CPR trainings in each county across Montana.
If you would like more information or to request a class please contact Janet Trethewey or Mike McNamara.
