Mountain Area Community Paramedics
Inter-Canyon Fire Protection District (ICFPD) announces the introduction of its community paramedic service: Mountain Area Community Paramedics (MACP)
Community paramedicine is a healthcare delivery model that increases access to services using paramedics in an expanded role. These services include performing health evaluations, assessing, and advising on the safety of a resident’s home, and other modalities that can enhance one’s quality of life. Community paramedics care for residents in their homes under the supervision of a physician.
Because Community paramedics can visit with residents in their homes, they are better able to identify and address barriers to accessing care and addressing health challenges, as well as broader social determinants of health. Broadly, the goals of community paramedicine are to reduce emergency department visits, hospital admissions/readmissions, medical costs and to support people with chronic conditions so they can continue to live independently.
Captain Suzannah Epperson will lead the Mountain Area Community Paramedic program. She is no stranger to the EMS field, and has served as a paramedic for 8 years, is a certified Community Paramedic, and has worked as a critical care nurse for over 20 years. “It is our goal to provide an extra layer of support to those living with chronic medical or mobility challenges” Epperson said. “We can provide medical assessments, education and resources to our neighbors that may be apprehensive about going to the hospital”.
The community paramedic functions outside of the hospital to:
- Focus on a successful transition to the home after a hospital stay
- Provide additional care and assessment in the home
- Decrease trips to the emergency department
- Assist with both social and medical needs to increase quality of life at home
Captain Epperson has access to a variety of health services to ensure the best possible care for our residents. She will be able to communicate directly with your provider, following hospital discharge to home or between. The Mountain Area Community Paramedic program provides the following services at no charge:
- Health assessments following hospital discharge to home
- Monitoring and education for chronic conditions such as COPD, CHF or liver failure
- Medication compliance monitoring
- 12-lead Electrocardiogram
- Basic lab work
- Advanced heart failure monitoring
- Home safety assessments
MACP will be bridging a gap between the patients ICFPD firefighters see regularly and the community services that already exist to help meet their needs. Please contact us if you would like some support for yourself or a family member. We also accept referrals from healthcare providers, hospitals, hospice and home health! This program is offered to our neighbors within the Inter Canyon Fire Protection District.
Please reach out to us at: macp@icfpd.net or by calling 303-697-4413.