With the continued interest in community paramedicine, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) took a step toward establishing a common evaluation framework for the field in a new publication, the “Community Paramedicine Evaluation Tool,” released in March.
Through community paramedicine, EMTs and paramedics adopt additional community health care roles, helping to address gaps in primary care services. Proponents argue that this approach to health care creates full-time paid positions to keep EMS services in the community, reduces emergency department visits, saves money and improves health care in areas lacking sufficient access to physicians, clinics or hospitals, particularly rural areas. HRSA first suggested the concept in a 2004 report called “Rural and Frontier EMS Agenda for the Future,” and since then, the idea has gained significant support.
The self-assessment tools contained in the new guidebook were developed based on current literature and interviews with community paramedics and are designed to be used by communities to measure the success of current community paramedicine programs. The guide also presents health status benchmarks and performance indicators to be used based on their relevance to improving health in each community.
The document is at hrsa.gov/ruralhealth/pdf/paramedicevaltool.pdf.
EMS Bill Gains Support
Advocates for EMS reports that the Field EMS Bill, which would move responsibility for EMS to the Department of Health and Human Services while creating grants and other provisions, picked up new co-sponsors in the House, where it is under consideration in the committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means.
Representatives Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.) and Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) joined in support of the bill following NAEMT’s EMS on the Hill Day, in which 198 professionals from 42 states visited their legislators in 246 meetings in March. An additional co-sponsor, Rep. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), signed on in December 2011, joining the original sponsors of the bill, Reps. Timothy J. Walz (D-Minn.) and Sue Myrick (R-N.C.), who reintroduced the legislation in Congress in October 2011.
Details about the bill are at advocatesforems.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=36.
