diff --git a/packages/api/src/config.ts b/packages/api/src/config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..662c7027
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/api/src/config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import { findParameter, getParameters } from "./configHelpers";
+import { Parameter, SSM } from '@aws-sdk/client-ssm';
+
+interface TranscriptionConfig {
+    test: string // TODO: This is just the foundation of getting params from SSM
+}
+
+const region = process.env['AWS_REGION'];
+
+const ssm = new SSM({
+	region,
+});
+
+export const getConfig = async (): Promise<TranscriptionConfig> => {
+	const stage = process.env['STAGE'] || 'DEV';
+	const paramPath = `/${stage}/investigations/transcription-service/`;
+
+	const parameters = await getParameters(paramPath, ssm);
+    const parameterNames = parameters.map((param: Parameter) => {
+        return param.Name;
+      });
+
+    console.log(`Parameters fetched: ${parameterNames.join(", ")}`);
+    const testParam = findParameter(parameters, paramPath, "test");
+
+    return {
+        test: testParam
+    }
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/api/src/configHelpers.ts b/packages/api/src/configHelpers.ts
index 063a2902..1d6c1ed5 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/configHelpers.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/configHelpers.ts
@@ -40,3 +40,29 @@ export const getParameters = async (
 		throw err;
 	}
 };
+
+export const findParameter = (
+	parameters: Parameter[],
+	paramPath: string,
+	paramKey: string
+  ): string => {
+	const parameter = parameters.find(
+		(param: Parameter) => param.Name === `${paramPath}${paramKey}`
+	);
+  
+	return getValueOfParam(paramKey, parameter);
+  };
+
+  export const getValueOfParam = (
+	paramKey: string,
+	parameter?: Parameter
+  ): string => {
+	if (!parameter) {
+		throw new Error(`The parameter ${paramKey} hasn't been configured`);
+	}
+	if (!parameter.Value) {
+		throw new Error(`The parameter ${paramKey} has no value`);
+	}
+	console.log(`Found value of parameter: ${paramKey}`);
+	return parameter.Value;
+  };
diff --git a/packages/api/src/index.ts b/packages/api/src/index.ts
index d72bc873..fd823b00 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/index.ts
@@ -3,25 +3,14 @@ import asyncHandler from 'express-async-handler';
 import serverlessExpress from '@codegenie/serverless-express';
 import bodyParser from 'body-parser';
 import path from 'path';
-import { getParameters } from './configHelpers';
-import { SSM } from '@aws-sdk/client-ssm';
+import { getConfig } from './config';
 
-const region = process.env['AWS_REGION'];
-
-const ssm = new SSM({
-	region,
-});
-
-export const getConfig = async (): Promise<void> => {
-	const stage = process.env['STAGE'] || 'DEV';
-	const paramPath = `/${stage}/investigations/transcription-service/`;
-
-	const parameters = await getParameters(paramPath, ssm);
+const getApp = async () => {
+	const config = await getConfig();
 
-	console.log(parameters);
-};
+	// TODO: This is just for testing. Actual config values should never be logged
+	console.log(`config value retrieved: ${config.test}`); 
 
-const getApp = async () => {
 	const app = express();
 	const apiRouter = express.Router();