Table of Contents:

• Trivia

• From 911 to Prevention: Johnson County’s Mobile-Integrative Health Model Reduces Hospital Burden

• Bonus Bite

• Community Paramedicine Teams Step into the Opioid Fight: University of Cincinnati Programs Lead the Way in Ohio

• Beyond the Call: Lancaster EMS’ Community Paramedicine Team Delivers Food to Homebound Patients

Read time: 4 minutes

Results

The County of Lambton’s Community Paramedicine Program has grown its client load to approximately 719 adults, primarily older individuals with chronic illnesses and few or no primary-care providers. In the past year alone the program logged over 4,100 in-home visits and more than 2,100 wellness checks, following 380+ referrals. Paramedics, operating outside of traditional 911 response, now partner with primary care, public health and social-service agencies to deliver in-home assessments, chronic-disease management and system-navigation support.

A recent expansion added community wellness clinics (including Indigenous community outreach), allowing over 800 residents to access free screenings, vaccines and health education. Funded at about $1.3 million, the program’s four-year funding commitment (announced in 2021) has now become permanent, though staff adjustments were made this year due to cost pressures.

Expansion

British Columbia is launching a new community paramedicine program in Hazelton as part of a broader provincial effort to strengthen healthcare access in rural and remote regions. The program will allow specially trained paramedics to provide non-emergency services such as wellness checks, chronic disease monitoring, and in-home assessments to residents who face significant barriers to primary care. It also supports the province’s plan to grow its rural health workforce, with up to 80 full-time community paramedic positions being added over the next four years. By bringing proactive care directly into homes, the initiative aims to reduce strain on emergency services and improve overall health outcomes in the region. The effort reflects a wider push to ensure underserved communities receive timely, culturally appropriate, and preventive care close to where they live.

Homebound

A team of researchers developed a culturally tailored competency framework designed specifically for community paramedicine (CP) practice in Saudi Arabia, recognizing that global models aren’t always fit for local sociocultural or system conditions. Based on semi-structured interviews with 15 EMS experts across multiple Saudi regions, they identified 12 interrelated competency domains — including communication & cultural competence, chronic disease management, telemedicine/digital health, mental health/palliative care, policy and governance, and research & evidence-based practice. An exploratory factor analysis grouped these domains into three principal axes:

1. interpersonal and cultural competencies

2. operational and clinical preparedness

3. policy and research orientation.

The framework highlights how paramedics must not only be clinically ready but also culturally sensitive, system-aware, and governed by policy structures to address healthcare disparities in rural and underserved communities. It offers strategic guidance for training curriculum design, accreditation standards, and system integration aligned with Saudi Arabia’s national health transformation goals.