Community Paramedicine: A Simple Approach to Increasing Access to Care, With Tangible Results
October 31, 2017
By Carol Backstrom, Principal and Director, Delivery System Transformation
and Jennifer Ryan, Vice President
A community paramedic is a medically trained first responder who provides primary and preventive care services designed to reduce patients’ need for hospital visits. In many parts of the country, they are often part of a home visiting team that provides follow-up care and medication management to people recently discharged from a hospital.
A new blog post published in Health Affairs by Carol Backstrom and Jennifer Ryan explores how community paramedics in Hennepin County, Minnesota, have also played a role in an innovative care model designed to reduce 911 calls and prevent unnecessary emergency room visits.