Regional EMS director asks Rice County for operating support as agency seeks sustainability

Alex Kedavinas, executive director of Southeastern Minnesota Emergency Medical Services, told Rice County commissioners that the regional EMS system supports 44 ambulances across the Southeast region and that county funding is one of four revenue streams that help keep training and medical direction operational. "My name is Alex Kedavinas, executive director for Southeastern Minnesota Emergency Medical Services," he said, then summarized the agency's work on education, medical direction and quality assurance.

Kedavinas outlined the Medical Direction Consortium, volunteer critical-incident stress management teams and continuing-education programs and said the organization is seeking county funding as it aims to become self-sustaining. He noted the consortium provides shared medical direction through volunteer physicians and that the region logged thousands of participants in education and hundreds of critical-incident callouts in recent years. The presentation included a formal request for county funds "which I am requesting today," but Kedavinas did not state a specific dollar amount during the remarks. Commissioners asked no immediate follow-up questions during the presentation.