A significant expansion is coming for the community’s paramedic program in the United Counties.
Starting in the Spring, the Leeds-Grenville Paramedic Service will have two vehicles staffed every day, seven days a week, which is up from the current service of one day per week for 12 hours.
Last fall, the province announced the Ministry of Long-Term Care was expanding the program.
Paramedic Chief Jeff Carss says it seeks to provide services to vulnerable or high-risk individuals.
“The aim for this program is to be proactive so that we’re treating or helping people out before they run into a situation where they need to call 9-1-1, or need to be transported to the Emergency Department where they need emergency care,” Carss said. “So, it’s kind of like a proactive health support system.”
Two Emergency Response Vehicles will be used, which will increase paramedic staffing to four full-time workers.
Services will include home visits, with certain diagnostic procedures and treatments, remote patient monitoring, and home assessments.
Carss says it’s his hope the program will help reduce the number of costly 911 calls, as well as avoidable emergency room hospital visits.
“The province has set it up to look at helping people remain in their homes while they await long-term care admission,” Carss said. “So, the target for this program is those individuals who are on a long-term care waitlist or are soon to be on one.”
Carss says the next steps for implementing the program will include transitioning paramedics from the 9-1-1 side of their operations over to the new community paramedic program.
From there, they will look to do more training, and collect the equipment needed in order for them to conduct home visits.