Wintergreen Fire & Rescue Community Paramedicine
Introduction
The purpose of developing a community paramedicine (CP) program within Nelson County is to provide a service that fills a gap in healthcare within the community. Community paramedicine aims to abate the frequency of unnecessary hospitalizations by performing focused patient assessments and providing treatment with the confines of the patients’ own home. With the intent of keeping the patient at home and under the care of their primary care providers, risks associated with the catch-all safety net of an emergency department and/or an unnecessary readmission are avoided. This program was made possible by a generous grant from Sentara Cares. Click here to see a recent article released by them on our program.
Gaps in service for Nelson County:
Lack of specialty care
Lack of public transportation
Insufficient community outreach and education for chronic disease
Lack of trust in medical providers
Click the button below to see more information about our program:
What does a typical visit look like?
After receiving your referral to the Community Paramedicine Program, a Community Paramedic will reach out to you to schedule a home visit. The Community Paramedic will call on the day of the visit to confirm the appointment. The initial visit typically lasts about an hour. The Community Paramedic will conduct a needs assessment, complete a home safety inspection on request, reconcile a medication list, assess vital signs on request, provide education on fall prevention, and provide education on the management of chronic conditions. The Community Paramedic will make recommendations for health improvement and will provide you with referrals to community resources to fill the needs identified on the needs assessment. A follow up will occur in person or by phone, as determined necessary by the Community Paramedic.
Intake to the Program
Individuals can be referred to the program by self-referral, community referral, or healthcare provider referral. Once referred, a Community Paramedic will reach out to the individual to schedule a home visit. Individuals still need to call 911 for emergencies. The Community Paramedicine Program is not a 24/7 service. Services are available by appointment only."
If you can benefit from this program, please click the button below and complete our Referral Form and someone will reach out to you within 48-hours.
Questions? Click here to Email our Community Paramedicine team
If you need to send the CP team a fax, here is that number: (434) 329-7444