Community paramedics program keeping patients out of the ER
It’s not the silver bullet Red Deer needs to solve its healthcare infrastructure problem, but it’s part of a spectrum of services the government is proud of, says Alberta’s Health Minister.
Sarah Hoffman, who was in Red Deer on Friday, was referring to the recently expanded community paramedics program.
Launched in Edmonton and Calgary in 2013, the program was expanded to Red Deer and several other mid-sized cities earlier this year. With the program, on-call paramedics who drive SUVs are available for 16 hours per day to go to facilities such as Red Deer’s Points West Living continuing care, and offer healthcare services which keep patients from taking up much needed space in the hospital’s emergency room.
“When we help Albertans avoid stressful trips to the emergency department, everyone wins,” she said. “These paramedics are effective and compassionate frontline workers, helping Albertans get the right care at the right time, right in their own homes.”