Los Angeles County EMS Agency convened area fire chiefs and HASC to discuss community paramedic medicine and to identify possible next steps related to coordinating a pilot program. Community paramedic medicine seeks to identify alternative patient destinations for non-emergent cases that currently are transported to hospital EDs.

The advisory group reviewed the white paper Community Paramedicine in California: A Feasibility Assessment that outlines six potential projects. Ultimately, the group agreed to focus on developing a pilot(s) around transport to alternate locations and/or addressing needs of frequent 911 callers.

Fire chiefs were tasked with surveying paramedic personnel and/or stakeholders and to select either option 1 or 3 as their local pilot. The group will reconvene to inventory the communities that have expressed interest. EMS Agency will then take the lead on notifying OSHPD of the pilot communities. In the meantime, EMS will look into liability-related concerns raised by HASC.

Contact Jaime Garcia at jgarcia@hasc.org with questions or if you are interested in serving on the HASC Community Paramedic Medicine Advisory Committee.

Contact: Jaime Garcia
(213) 538-0702, jgarcia@hasc.org