How a Community Paramedics Program Can Help Keep Emergencies at Bay

Photo UnitedHealthcare The Milwaukee fire department is getting involved before an emergency happens. You might usually think of your city’s fire department as being first on the scene during an intense situation, with flashing lights and sirens. But what about a fire department that gets involved before an emergency happens? That’s exactly what’s happening in Milwaukee. Take Mary*, for example. She called 911 several times a week, due to issues related to her diabetes. In order to find a new solution, the Milwaukee Fire Department (MFD) enrolled her in the Community Paramedics Program, in which a paramedic visited her at her house. This visit helped identify her needs — not only medical, but also behavioral and social. Afterwards, in another stay at the emergency department, she received another visitor from the fire department. This time, it was Captain Michael Wright, who helped launch the Community Paramedics Program. He wanted to see how she was doing and to try to better understand her situation. When she told him she collapsed after taking her insulin at night, he had her medication checked. It turned out she was getting twice the level of insulin she needed.  Once this adjustment was made, the 911 calls all but disappeared. UnitedHealthcare has been partnering with the MFD since 2015 on the Community Paramedics Program — also known as mobile integrated health care, in which a paramedic visits the member’s home. The program’s miss...
Source: JEMS Operations - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Ambulances & Vehicle Ops Patient Care Press Releases Source Type: news