The Montana Department of Health and Human Services is piloting what it is calling Community Integrated Health programs around the state in an effort to alleviate an overburdened health care system.
DPHHS ponied up about $300,000 of federal and private funding to run the programs for the next two years, including a local version administered by St. Peter s Health
Commonly referred to as community paramedicine, the concept has been implemented around the country in one form or another since the 1970s. It is a different care delivery model that allows emergency medical services workers to provide in-home care for patients who do not need to make a visit to the hospital, simple things such as drawing blood or monitoring patients with chronic illnesses.
St. Peter s Health starts Community Paramedicine program
and last updated 2021-02-05 20:38:49-05
HELENA â Angie Murphy, Jennie Webster, and Andrea Goyins are all Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) by training. For years, they worked 9-1-1, meaning they ve responded to medical emergencies in the community.
But in Spring 2020, the trio changed course, helping to launch the St. Peter s Health Community Paramedicine Program.
Community paramedicine is a relatively new and evolving healthcare model, according to the Rural Health Information Hub.
In a press release, St. Peterâs Health describes community paramedicine as a way for paramedics and EMTs âto operate in expanded roles by assisting with public health and preventative services to underserved populations in the community, or populations who have barriers to accessing healthcare.â