Three-person teams of paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and social workers will be visiting Dayton residents this summer at their homes who have limited access to health care services.
The community paramedicine program by Premier Health and Dayton Fire Department brings together hospital and fire department staff to identify patients in need of in-home care and will accommodate up to 25 patients at a time. “This partnership provides Dayton Fire a unique opportunity to engage some of our most vulnerable patients before an emergency exists,” Dayton Fire Department Chief Jeffery Payne said in a statement.
There’s been an increasing number of community paramedicine programs around the U.S. in recent years. While paramedics traditionally treat patients on emergency calls, these programs have paramedics making house calls and using their skills to proactively meet the medical needs of community members.