Community Paramedicine

I am a 22-year-old Paramedic Science student at the University of Surrey in the UK. The 3-year degree programme is split equally between university and working shifts with the South East Coast Ambulance Service. In summer 2019 I had a 3-week placement with the British Columbia Emergency Health Service. UK Paramedic Student’s Experiences in Vancouver Between our second and final year of study we have the chance to organise an Elective Placement to explore practice areas of interest or investigate … Read More

BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) is the sole provider of out-of-hospital emergency care and inter-facility transfer in British Columbia, and is the largest emergency medical service in Canada. BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) paramedics continue to be called to an incredibly high number of overdoses across the province. In 2019 that amounted to 24,166 overdose calls, or an average of 66 calls each day for a potential overdose. BCEHS has been monitoring the overdose crisis since it began in 2016 … Read More

Healthcare systems worldwide and here, at home are facing delivery challenges. These challenges have been brought on by population growth, epidemiological demographic transitions, that is to say, the increasing burden of chronic diseases and population aging in addition to a shortage of healthcare providers [1 p. ii]. Paramedics have evolved and adapted from a one-dimensional practitioner who initially only responded to emergencies to become an indispensible member of a mobile integrated health team (MIHT). Community Paramedic program themselves are noted … Read More

A major issue presenting across Canada is the number of opioid related deaths. Since 2003, the number of deaths has increased 136 per cent with more than 850 deaths in Ontario from opioid-related causes in 2016 (Public Health Ontario, 2018). The key concerns with this issue are the alarming rising numbers of users and related overdose deaths and that users are not getting the necessary help or support to overcome the addiction. Niagara EMS has recognized the need to take … Read More

A fairly long time ago in a land far away, a community paramedic program was conceived. Community Paramedicine got its start in Canada back in 2001, on Long and Brier Islands, remote communities in southwestern Nova Scotia. This innovative project was developed based on a theory that patients could be treated at home instead of traveling over land and sea to be treated. The proposal also predicted that patients would be happier and that the government would save a significant … Read More

The emergence of Community Paramedicine (CP) in Ontario has challenged Paramedic Services to change the way they think about supporting individuals in the community. Community Paramedicine shifts the focus of service delivery from being traditionally reactive, to preventative and supportive. Although approaches to supporting patients through Community Paramedicine vary from service to service, all programs benefit from partnerships with local community and healthcare service providers. Partnerships are the foundation of a successful CP program, and a key element of program … Read More

Let me paint the scene. It’s a dark, overcast, cold day in December. I’m the first to arrive at the small paramedic station, so I turn on the lights, pour a cup of coffee, and start preparing for my day. This year will be my 25th as a paramedic, so yes, I’m old, stuff hurts, and there is a lot more grey on my head these days. For the past five years I’ve been a Community Paramedic (CP) in Grey … Read More