Paramedic support for Neerim South

Mr Salathiel is one of six new paramedic community support coordinators – professional paramedics whose work goes beyond the traditional role of responding to emergency cases.

Based at Neerim South ambulance station, Mr Salathiel aims to engage with local communities, provide training to local health services and ambulance first responder teams as well as provide a MICA resource in the area.

Located 15 to 20 minutes from larger townships Warragul and Drouin, he said the new role primarily aimed at improving health outcomes in the Neerim South and surrounding districts.

The town is currently served by an ambulance community officer team of about 20 volunteers who respond to some 20 to 30 callouts per month with backing from Warragul or Drouin paramedics.

Mr Salathiel said the volunteers were trained to an advanced first aid skill set to respond to call outs, stabilise patients and provide initial treatment. He is also keen to work with hospital staff at Neerim South and, where required, update skills for emergency situations. Despite the hospital not having an emergency department or 24-hour doctor coverage, patients are known to turn up in private cars.

“It’s about making sure those staff have emergency skills that they normally don’t get to use,” he said.

Mr Salathiel has worked with Ambulance Victoria for more than 14 years and has lived in Gippsland since 2004.

“Born and bred in a small country town, I started my career as an ambulance community officer and, as such, understand the dynamics of small communities,” he said.

“My initial focus will be on getting to know our first responders and key community stakeholders, building the ambulance community officer roster to ensure coverage, and promoting automated external defibrillators and the new GoodSAM app in the region.”

“I’m most looking forward to meeting new people and establishing relationships in the community which will result in improved health outcomes,” he added.

“Getting to know everyone in the local community will take time but I welcome the challenge. So if you see me down the street, say hi.”

The new paramedic community support coordinator positions are part of the state government’s $500 million investment to improve ambulance performance.

Ambulance Victoria executive director emergency operations Mick Stephenson said delivering ambulance services in remote or low-workload rural areas required a flexible and community-centred approach.

“Ambulance Victoria aspires to give our patients the best care, every time, no matter where they live. The needs of each community are different, along with the challenges of distance and access to healthcare,” said Mr Stephenson.

“To be effective in rural and remote communities, health and emergency services must collaborate with community partners to prevent health problems from becoming lifethreatening emergencies,” he added.

Mr Salathiel provided peer support to Christchurch paramedics following the 2011 earthquake. Other achievements include rolling out a program for rural paramedics to give heart attack patients clot-busting medication and establishing the GippSIM simulation ambulance to improve paramedic skills and patient safety.