What are we?
Project OAR is a grant-funded initiative by Donald Guthrie Foundation of The Guthrie Clinic focused on providing training to EMS personnel in areas including substance abuse and mental health crises. Personnel are trained in how to manage these encounters in the field, as well as how to take care of their own wellbeing when responding to such cases. This website is a conglomeration of resources and information designed to aid in the dissemination of this information for all personnel.
Goals
Our aim is to provide education and outreach to EMS personnel across the region, specifically the southern tier of New York and surrounding areas. We want to supplement the training courses and certification classes with additional information that is useful to EMS in the field, specifically regarding substance abuse and mental health crises. We also want to emphasize the importance of taking care of their own mental health after dealing with difficult cases such as this. Providing resources for them to utilize as well as to distribute to patients makes the community stronger as a whole and benefits us all.
About Us
Kathleen Hallinan, MD is the driving force behind this project. As a volunteer fire fighter and Internal Medicine physician at Guthrie Corning Hospital, she has become very passionate about this area of care, particularly in substance abuse cases. Dr. Hallinan has been treating patients suffering from addiction for over a decade of practice. She has also served as the volunteer medical director for several BLS agencies and volunteers on the Regional EMS Medical Advisory Committee. Her priority has been advancing educational strategies that will keep our EMS providers safe, and that will extend compassion and effective care to those who are under the influence of addictive substances.
