šŸš‘ Community Paramedicine: Preventive Care from Wausau to Lisbon

Explore how community paramedics in Wausau, Lisbon šŸ‡µšŸ‡¹, and Fairbanks are transforming healthcare with prevention-focused, in-home care programs.

March 26, 2025

The weekly source for new programs in the MIH-CP space is back. What is the future of community paramedicine. Well if the stories in this issue are indicative of anything, the future is looking bright.

This week brings a mix of stories, combining insights from our last two posts. We spotlight two local community paramedicine initiatives making an impact, then take a trip to Lisbon, Portugal šŸ‡µšŸ‡¹ , where community health teams are prioritizing home visits. Plus, donā€™t miss our bonus featureā€”a study highlighting the positive effects of community paramedicine on elderly populations.

And since weā€™re feeling generous, this weekā€™s trivia is a freebie! While they say to always guess ā€œCā€ in school, hereā€™s a hintā€”itā€™s not C.

Letā€™s dive in!

Content Overview:

  1. Trivia

  2. Wausau Fire Department's CP Program Making a Difference

  3. The Weekly Bonus Bite

  4. Lisbon EMS Embraces Home Visits

  5. Fairbanks Community Paramedic Brings Passion to Preventative Health

  6. So What?

Total: 8 minutes

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Success

The Wausau Fire Department's Community Care Paramedic program is helping patients identify symptoms early to prevent emergency situations. Funded through a grant, the program aims to keep patients out of the hospital and free up ambulances for true emergencies.

Community Care Paramedic Matt Kozloski works to intervene before small issues escalate, connecting with patients and providing education on health and nutrition. The program has been successful in other agencies and is seen as a positive step towards prevention in emergency medical services. Plans are in place to expand the program with a second community care paramedic in the future.

The Weekly Bonus Bite

The Community Paramedicine at Clinic (CP@clinic) program, a chronic disease prevention and health promotion program, significantly improved health behaviors, including fruit and vegetable consumption and sedentary behavior, among low-income older adults residing in social housing.

Join the Community

Julota's MIH-CP software empowers community paramedics to deliver smarter, more connected care by simplifying fragmented data and streamlining processes. With real-time patient insights, automated reporting, customizable workflows, secure HIPAA and CFR-42-compliant collaboration, and actionable analytics, Julota enables impactful care and improved outcomes. Designed to bridge healthcare and social determinants of health, it helps your program stay ahead of change.

šŸ‡µšŸ‡¹ Home Health

Lisbon EMS has successfully maintained a strong, all-volunteer team despite challenges faced by other local emergency medical services. Through its Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) program, launched in May 2023, Lisbon EMS collaborates with healthcare agencies like North Country Home Health and Hospice, Littleton Regional Healthcare, and Ammonoosuc Community Health Services to provide in-home care, reduce unnecessary 9-1-1 calls, and improve community health. The program has been funded by various grants, including a recent $14,000 award from the Community Health Access Network and a three-year grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission, ensuring its continued operation.

Beyond MIH, Lisbon EMS is addressing broader healthcare gaps by participating in a patient transfer pilot program with Littleton Regional Healthcare and ordering a new ambulance to replace aging equipment. Despite increasing call volumes and the potential loss of volunteers to retirement or relocation, the department remains resilient, supported by committed volunteers and local businesses like New England Wire Technologies. However, Chief Audrey Champagne warns that, unlike fire and police, EMS is not a state-mandated service, leaving some towns struggling to fund or maintain emergency medical care, which could become a significant issue in the future.

New Employee!

Fairbanksā€™ newly hired community paramedic, Melody Smith, is working to bridge gaps in emergency and preventative healthcare by providing in-home care, wound management, transport assistance, and follow-up resources, particularly for those with chronic conditions or substance abuse challenges.

Based out of the Crisis Now office, she collaborates with local organizations to reduce hospital admissions and improve patient outcomes. Using an SUV equipped with medical supplies, she conducts home visits, performs basic medical procedures, and builds relationships with at-risk individuals. Passionate about breaking stigma around addiction, Smith hopes the program expands to serve more people in need.

So What?

Wausau Fire Department's Community Care Paramedic Program Making a Difference

  • The Community Care Paramedic program enables paramedics to conduct in-home visits, identifying early signs of health deterioration and intervening promptly. This proactive approach helps prevent minor issues from developing into serious emergencies, reducing unnecessary ambulance dispatches and hospital trips.

  • By focusing on preventive care and patient education, the program alleviates the burden on emergency services, allowing them to remain available for critical situations. This shift towards prevention mirrors the fire service's historical emphasis on fire prevention, marking a progressive step in EMS practices.

Lisbon EMS Embraces Mobile Integrated Health

  • Lisbon EMS has successfully implemented an MIH program that reduces unnecessary 9-1-1 calls, improves patient outcomes, and prevents hospital readmissions by providing home visits, preventive care, and chronic disease management.

  • The success of Lisbon EMS highlights the growing need for alternative EMS funding models, as emergency services are not a state-mandated requirement, leaving some towns at risk of losing critical medical response services due to financial constraints.

Fairbanks Community Paramedic Brings Passion to Preventative Health

  • Fairbanksā€™ community paramedic program is filling gaps in healthcare by providing in-home care, wound management, medication assistance, and follow-up services, helping to prevent unnecessary ER visits and hospitalizations.

  • The program is still in its early stages but has the potential to grow, offering a cost-effective, community-centered healthcare model that improves long-term patient outcomes while easing the burden on emergency services.