By Kaylee Remington
cleveland.com
LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Lakewood officials are exploring ways to expand the city’s Neighborhood Paramedic Program as demand for services continues to grow, particularly for residents facing mental health challenges and complex medical needs.
During a Lakewood Public Safety Committee meeting Monday, Fire Chief Ryan Fairbanks said the city is pursuing grants and partnerships that could fund an additional neighborhood paramedic to help meet the growing need.
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The Neighborhood Paramedic Program was launched in August 2022 as a health and wellness initiative designed to prevent illness and injury among vulnerable residents while reducing unnecessary emergency room visits. The program initially focused on fall prevention for senior citizens through in-home EMS visits modeled after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries) protocol.
In 2021, Lakewood EMS responded to more than 650 calls involving seniors injured in falls, with more than half requiring transport to a hospital or emergency department. The Healthy Lakewood Foundation also provided a $70,000 grant to help launch the program.
Neighborhood Paramedic Oliver Harper told council members the program has expanded considerably over the past year, including a partnership with Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital that provides referrals for Lakewood residents with chronic conditions such as congestive heart failure, COPD and diabetes. Harper visits patients after they’re discharged, helping reconnect them with follow-up care, organize medications, coordinate transportation and address barriers that often lead to preventable emergency room visits or hospital readmissions.
Harper said the program has also become increasingly involved in behavioral health. The department responded to roughly 300 mental-health-related calls over the past year, and staff are working with the city’s human services department to develop alternatives for lower-risk patients who may not need to be taken to an emergency department. Instead, the goal is to connect residents with community resources and provide follow-up support aimed at preventing repeat crises.
During the meeting, it was also presented that the city recently received a two-year, $100,000 grant that will support expanded crisis response efforts, including transportation through an Uber Health account and additional services to help residents connect with care after leaving the hospital.
Fairbanks said while overall EMS call volume continues to increase, the program has shown measurable success with some of the city’s most frequent EMS users. Residents who once called emergency medical services between 50 and 100 times a year are now calling about 10 times annually after working with Harper, he said.
“That, in my book, is a win and it shows the effectiveness of the program,” Fairbanks said.
Fairbanks said Harper is currently operating at roughly 110% capacity, making it difficult to expand the program without additional staff.
“We’ve been looking at other ways of securing funding,” Fairbanks said, noting the city is meeting with Cleveland Clinic and exploring additional grant opportunities. “But just think about what we could do with another Oliver.”
Council members voiced support for the program and discussed potential future funding sources, including grants, cannabis tax revenue, opioid settlement funds and Community Development Block Grant funding should the city move forward with an expansion.
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