Medical Resource Hospital
PROVIDING ON-LINE MEDICAL CONTROL FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS)
Immediate Help for Paramedics
Medical Resource Hospital (MRH) based in Portland, OR is a service provided by the OHSU Emergency Department for paramedics in the field. OHSU Emergency room physicians are available 24/7 by radio or phone
- to give medical advice
- to approve medication orders
- to direct resuscitation and end-of-life efforts
- to explain to patients the consequences of refusing treatment
- to clarify protocols
This assistance is provided to EMS personnel in Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Columbia, and Hood counties.
Skilled Professional Support Team
Medical Resource Hospital operates through our Emergency Communication Center at OHSU. We provide quick, coordinated connections for paramedics on scene.
- 90% of all consults started within 45 seconds or less
- Dedicated 800 MHz radio channel and telephone line
- All calls recorded for review and quality control
- All discussions documented in a secure database
- Data collected for statistical analysis and protocol review
Nation's 1st 24 Hour Electronic POLST Registry
Medical Resource Hospital is the emergency connection for the POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) Registry in Oregon. This service insures that EMS and hospital acute care medical personnel can obtain quick and accurate information about a patient's end-of-life health care wishes during a medical emergency.
Medical Resource Hospital has access to a 24 hour secure electronic record of POLST forms. Upon request we check the Registry to determine if a patient has a completed form on file.
- We follow rigorous multiple-step procedures with each inquiry to insure an exact match.
- We verbally relay medical orders and signature dates for exact matches.
- We arrange consults with OHSU emergency room physicians if clarification is needed.
- We fax copies of the form to the hospital (or EMS hospital destination if applicable).
Our History at OHSU
Centralized on-line medical control known as Medical Resource Hospital (MRH) was authorized in 1982 by Multnomah County administrative rule. The OHSU Emergency Department assumed the duties of Medical Resource Hospital in 1986 and selected the Emergency Communication Center to provide the service.
