TOWER- For the third year in a row, the Tower Area Ambulance Service has been awarded a “Certificate of Clinical Excellence” by the Minnesota Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS). In 2024, the ambulance service achieved a performance rate of 80-percent or higher on five or more of the clinical advisory performance measures.
“This means we followed the recommended protocols,” said Tower Ambulance Director Dena Suihkonen. “They reviewed all our call data.”
“The award reflects the dedication of your organization, leadership, medical director, and most importantly, the exemplary care and documentation provided by your crew members,” said Dylan Ferguson, OEMS Director. “Your organization should take great pride in the outstanding care it provides to the communities and citizens your serve.”
Earning this award every year since 2022, when it was first enacted, is highly unusual for services in our area, Suihkonen said.
The ambulance service currently has 30 members, and this year everyone is keeping busy.
“Calls are way up from last year,” she said.
Suihkonen asked that everyone be on the lookout for older adults with dementia wandering out on roads. “We have been seeing more and more of these in the area,” she said.