New Community Paramedic Program to Bridge Gaps in Rural Healthcare

Regional West Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has recently launched a community paramedic program to help serve the needs of the region’s patients.

The community paramedic program is designed to expand the role of the EMS team to help bridge the gaps in rural healthcare. Through a referral-based program, community paramedics meet with patients and their families post-discharge to make sure patients understand their care information and have the tools to recover at home, helping to reduce the risk of unnecessary Emergency Department visits and hospital readmission. Additionally, the program will help connect patients to community resources.

Community paramedic Robby Rhembrandt, NRP, FP-C, C-NPT, CP-C, CCP-C, TP-C, said that the program aims to improve communication between patients and Regional West so that the transition from hospital to home goes more smoothly.

“When patients or their families are going through a healthcare event, they may not have questions immediately, but they might in the 36 hours post discharge when they’re home and going through their instructions or their new medications,” he said. “We’re there to help them through that.”

Regional West EMS Director Shawn Baumgartner, NRP, ASM, added that the program is not meant to duplicate existing services in the community, but rather connect patients to the services they need.

“All of our community services have their niche, and they are all important niches. This program is a way for us to plug patients into these services so that they are getting the right care for them,” he said.