DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. — Dorchester County is launching the Tri-County area’s first community paramedicine program, set to begin on Aug. 11.
The program will provide non-emergency care and services to community members who need assistance but don’t require a hospital visit, WCSC reported. Officials with Dorchester County EMS say many 911 calls they receive aren’t true emergencies, and the new initiative aims to address those lower-acuity needs with appropriate resources outside the traditional emergency response model.
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Community Paramedic Angelina Johnson said the program allows her to identify the root cause of a patient’s issue and connect them with appropriate healthcare solutions tailored to their needs.
Johnson will be able to take on a variety of roles, helping reduce 911 calls and ease overcrowding in emergency rooms by addressing patient needs more efficiently.
“We would be able to link primary care with the patient. It might be a mid-level, it might be a clinic somewhere outside of this area, but we do have our community paramedic,” Dorchester County EMS Chief Joe Crowder said. “Over the last year, she has been building up a huge portfolio of contacts, and she has just about any available resource that you can imagine.”
In underserved areas like Saint George or Ridgeville, some residents may overuse 911 simply because it’s their only known option. Johnson hopes to expand the program to better meet their needs and reduce reliance on emergency services.
