Culpeper Star-Exponent
In its inaugural year, a new UVA Health program led by community paramedics making home visits has helped some of the emergency room’s most frequent users reduce visits while better accessing the care they need, according to health system announcement.
UVA Health Community Paramedicine, part of the Department of Population Health, provides a variety of resources to assist patients, from connecting them with primary care providers to navigating insurance needs.
A key component, patients in the program receive a home visit from UVA Health community paramedics who review their medical records to see what may be causing repeat emergency room visits.
“We’re working to see if we can make some improvements in their care if they’re willing to work with us to make some changes,” said UVA Health Community Paramedic Patrick Watson.
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Through the one-year program, the average number of emergency room visits dropped from eight before patients entered the program to three after patients completed it. In addition, 30 patients were able to establish a new relationship with a primary care provider, according to the release.
Community Paramedicine is designed to help patients who frequently visit the emergency department for non-urgent reasons, including those with chronic conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Emergency room providers and rescue squad members can refer patients to the program, which typically has 20-25 patients at any given time, Watson said.
Emergency rooms and rescue squads are designed to deal with the immediate symptoms, “not the root of what’s causing the symptoms,” said Taylor Tereskertz, another UVA Health community paramedic.
During the 30 to 60 days in the program, paramedics work to address the social determinants of a patient’s health — including access to food and transportation to medical appointments — as well as review their medications and connect them with doctors.
Patients also work with an interactive home monitoring program that provides them with a tablet for telehealth visits and devices to monitor vital signs such as blood pressure, weight, heart rate, temperature, blood sugar levels and oxygen levels. Patients also learn when they should seek care in the emergency room instead of visiting an urgent care center or contacting their primary care provider.
If there is a “trigger event,” such as an emergency room visit or frequent calls to 911, paramedics will visit the patient and work to resolve any underlying issues, according to the health system’s release.
Through these visits, community paramedics have prevented 50 trips to the emergency room in the past year, helping patients while helping to reduce emergency room wait times.
For Darla Rich, the weekly visits from Watson and Tereskertz “have been a lifesaver,” helping her manage several serious health conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure and atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disorder.
“It’s so nice to have someone with a nice smile come check on me,” Rich said.
Community paramedics checked her vital signs, provided training on how to best manage her condition and in one visit patched her up after she suffered cuts from a fall. With their help, Rich hasn’t visited the ER in about a year. She deeply appreciates the care Watson and Tereskertz have shown her.
“They stopped one day to wish me a Merry Christmas. It means a lot,” Rich said. “I just want everyone to know what wonderful people they are.”
A hospital spokesman said paramedics’ work was generally concentrated in and around Charlottesville, although they did see at least one patient from Culpeper. There are currently no plans to expand into Culpeper, he said.
