Description:

On-site paramedics serving the mining sector must be prepared to manage not only acute injuries but also chronic conditions and mental health concerns shaped by unique occupational hazards such as isolation, shift work and environmental exposures; however, this is not part of typical paramedic scope or training in Canada. Our presentation introduces a new occupational medicine training curriculum for industry paramedics, with a specific focus on strengthening mental health competencies through the best practices of community paramedic programs. Community paramedicine has gained significant attention in recent years as a response to ever-increasing public EMS call volume, but has not been deployed in Canadian mining operations. We will review implementation opportunities, challenges, and the importance of third-party certification for this program to ensure educational quality and operational alignment. We will also review collaborative paramedic care options such as virtual platforms and tele-ultrasound services that reduce off-site movements and control costs compared to traditional treatment paradigms. And while digital mental health services are useful, we will demonstrate that they are often insufficient in isolation without in-person assessments. This notably includes personnel who have not yet identified within themselves any mental health needs. Expanding Canadian paramedic scope to include occupational medicine and primary care training allows mining sites to fill in healthcare gaps with customized services to meet their unique requirements despite increasing strain and less access to publicly available services.

Hosted by Dr. Joshua Bezanson, an emergency and occupational medicine physician and medical director with International SOS Canada, the session will explore how community paramedicine training enhances support for personnel working in remote mining operations and how best to select the appropriate care team for your needs given the many emerging roles of RN’s, LPN’s, NP’s, PA’s, Paramedics and others. He will discuss how targeted expanded-scope practice can be implemented safely and will provide novel care team models.

The role of occupational community paramedic training for non-traditional paramedic care settings.

How to build a model scope of practice to bridge primary care, occupational and emergency care needs.

What is “Mental Health First Aid” and what should be found in a “Mental Health First Aid Kit”

How to develop and implement expanded scope paramedic training programs for industrial care settings.

About the speaker:

Dr. Joshua Bezanson is a board-certified emergency and occupational medicine physician practising in Edmonton with over 20 years of experience in pre-hospital care and emergency services. He serves as an EMS medical director for multiple land, air and industrial EMS agencies, including the Calgary Fire Department and International SOS Canada. He has expertise in disaster medicine and hazardous materials response and teaches at the University of Alberta. He currently serves on the board of WCB Alberta.

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