Table of Contents:

• Trivia

• Oklahoma City Reimagines 911: New Mobile Integrated Healthcare Program Connects Residents to Lasting Support

• Grand Junction Fire Launches Community Paramedic Team to Ease 911 Demand

• Sudbury's Community Paramedicine Program Cuts Emergency Calls

Read time: 4 minutes

Expansion

Oklahoma City is revolutionizing its emergency response by expanding its Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) program to better address mental and behavioral health crises and reduce unnecessary 911 calls. The MIH program utilizes four specialized teams to meet residents' needs at different levels, beginning with the Crisis Call Diversion team at the 911 center. Mobile units, including the Crisis Response Team and the Alternative Response Team (ART), are dispatched to emergencies to provide on-scene stabilization, link individuals to immediate care, and distribute essential tools like Narcan for overdoses.

For residents who frequently use emergency services, the Community Advocacy Program (CAP) offers long-term, one-on-one support, addressing underlying issues like housing, food, and transportation. City officials expect that this comprehensive approach will allow traditional emergency responders to focus on critical situations while ensuring residents with behavioral health needs receive timely, appropriate, and lasting support. This integrated system is designed to be a pathway to stability and safety for the community.

New Program

Grand Junction, Colorado, is preparing to open Fire Station 7, which will serve as the hub for a new community paramedicine program. The city is launching this initiative to address the high volume of non-emergency EMS calls, which currently account for about 30% of their total 8,000 annual responses. The community paramedic team will focus on handling lower-acuity calls, thereby easing the burden on existing fire station resources. The investment, funded by a voter-approved public safety measure, is part of a broader effort to rebalance resources and strengthen public safety services across the community.

Results

Sudbury's Community Paramedicine (CP) Wellness Clinics are successfully reducing the reliance on emergency services and improving healthcare access for residents in community housing. This evidence-informed model brings paramedics directly to multi-unit buildings, offering wellness advice, chronic disease management, and 'upstream' interventions before health issues become critical. Research shows that CP clinics in multi-unit buildings can decrease 911 calls by as much as 31%. By establishing a consistent presence, paramedics build trust, identify health challenges like medication non-compliance early, and help residents navigate the health system, ultimately supporting them to age in place and avoiding costly emergency care.