About Our Program

The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Fellowship at Hennepin County Medical Center combines best-of-breed clinical, administrative, and field experience in both urban and suburban EMS environments. Fellows take an active, hands-on role in HCMC’s ambulance and EMS service, as well as a suburban fire department EMS service. Fellows practice in HCMC’s state-of-the-art Level I Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center, and gain specialized experience in tactical medicine, search and rescue, and disaster preparedness through partnerships with law enforcement and other first responder agencies.

Founded in 1995, the EMS fellowship received ACGME-accreditation in 2013. Upon completion of this one year program, graduates are well qualified to become an EMS Medical Director, instruct pre-hospital providers, respond to incidents in the field, and become an expert in disaster preparedness.

What sets us apart

Dedicated ambulance service. EMS owns and operates the dispatch center and ambulance fleet that covers 911-response for the City of Minneapolis and more than 700,000 residents in Hennepin County. EMS fellows take an active role in all operational, medical, and administrative aspects of this critical program. EMS responds to over 100,000 calls each year and conducts over 80,000 transports.

Regional partnerships with fire, police, air transport. EMS fellows also gain valuable experience with first responder agencies and hundreds of paramedics in the west metro EMS system, including public utility and private operations, as well as a rotor and fixed wing air medical transport service.

Specialized field experience. EMS fellows attend a formal Emergency Vehicle Operations Course and utilize a dedicated emergency response vehicle. Fellows provide support to the paramedics, engage in direct patient care and add to the oversight and teaching of paramedics. Fellows also participate in operations with the state Urban Search and Rescue team, MN Task Force 1.

Pioneering emergency services. Emergency personnel train for complex situations using the advanced equipment in our Interdisciplinary Simulation and Education Center. Hennepin Healthcare’s medical education programs train more than 12,000 paramedics and other emergency personnel each year.

Leadership and teaching opportunities. EMS fellows collaborate daily with physicians, specialists, medical students, and other healthcare professionals in emergency medicine and other disciplines. There are ample opportunities for leadership and teaching in connection with the regional EMS council and Hennepin EMS Emergency and Critical Care Education center.

About our Facility

The EMS fellowship is based at the main HCMC campus in downtown Minneapolis. Hennepin Healthcare provides inpatient and ambulatory services, our Level I Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center, Certified Burn Center, Comprehensive Stroke Center, Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) Certified Center and numerous specialty clinics—all within a single facility that spans five city blocks.

HCMC handles cases at all levels of severity, including day-to-day emergencies and disaster response. We also provide the entire spectrum of care for injured patients, from pre-hospital care and transport through rehabilitation.

Hennepin EMS facts

• Covers 14 municipalities in Hennepin County, including City of Minneapolis
• Serves more than 700,000 residents and spans 266 square miles
• State-of-the-art EMS communications center handles 65,000 calls annually
• Ambulance service owned and operated by HCMC
• More than 72,000 ambulance runs each year
• Air medical transport services provided by Life Link III, with 2,200 helicopter transports annually
• Level I Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center with more than 100,000 visits annually
• The area’s premier EMS Emergency and Critical Care Education facility
• Training approximately 12,500 paramedics and other EMS professionals annually

Emergency Medical Service Area

EMS fellows take an active role in HCMC’s EMS service area, which spans 266 square miles and serves more than 700,000 residents in 14 municipalities, including the City of Minneapolis. EMS fellows also participate in operations with the Edina Fire and Ambulance system.