ImageTrend`s Resource Bridge Has Multiple Uses

The Resource Bridge from ImageTrend has many different components that are used differently in each state. In Minnesota, it is called MNTrac and covers the 7-county metro area that includes Minneapolis and St. Paul and the surrounding counties. "Hospital diversion status is just one of the many features of the system," explains Tammy Peterson, Healthcare Systems Communications Planner for the Minnesota Department of Health's Office of Emergency Preparedness. "When a hospital changes or modifies its diversion status, users will receive alerts via email, text message or by signing on to the regional status page. Some EMS agencies have those notifications go directly to their dispatch center and others have it sent to a group pager direct to the field crews. In Minnesota, it's often the Medical Resource Control Center (MRCC) and dispatch centers that confirm or clarify which facilities are on some kind of diversion status."

In addition to diversion status, MnTrac also uses an EMS system notification when there's a large incident going on or the potential for one exists, says Peterson. "When that happens, the MRCC operator sends an alert out so all the hospitals and EMS agencies in the region are simultaneously notified. When the advisory is placed on the system, it then allows us to track patients that are transported by EMS from the incident site or those who self-transport to any hospital." There is also a general notification type that includes nonemergent but important information that EMS might need to know.

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