community paramedic program rebecca fessler saint joseph’s hospital social worker, inpatient...
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Community Paramedic ProgramRebecca Fessler
Saint Joseph’s Hospital Social Worker, Inpatient Mental Health Unit
& June Hove
Saint Joseph’s Hospital Clinic Director, Inpatient Mental Health Unit & Inpatient
Addiction Medicine Unit
January 20, 2015
Community Paramedic Program
1/20/15
Community Paramedic Program• Background
– Began June 9, 2014• Approached by Paramedics looking for collaboration• Started small with Mental Health unit – now added CD unit• Provided education and training to Paramedics
– Crisis stabilization– Shadowed staff, participated in groups, had 1:1 with
patients– Introduced to patients
– Starting August 11, 2014 schedule changes for paramedics to 8 hour shifts 4 days a week
Eligibility and Referral Process
• Began with Medicaid patients and now expanded to all patients
• Offered to patients who are discharged back to the community– Home, shelters etc.
• Give patients up to 12 visits
Program• Part of discharge planning• Obtain order for service• Provides areas of service including:
general/social interaction, vital signs, minor medical procedures, ECG tracing, immunizations/vaccinations, weight monitoring, laboratory collection, medication compliance, medication education, health assessment and wound checks
Positive aspects Paramedics can administer IM medications Assess home condition – patient discharged home and found
eviction notice. Had been hospitalized 3 weeks and apartment a mess. They helped clean up apartment, organize bills and take her to get food
Check on follow up appointments and arrange transportation as needed
Crisis stabilization – patients call them and they can go to the patient or refer to urgent care or ED depending on situation
Set up medications – one patient had mistakenly set up medications to be taken at PM and was taking at AM
They don’t bring attention to the patient – they arrive in cars with HE Transportation stenciled on side instead of ambulance, they wear street clothes instead of uniforms
Patients love this service
Measurement
Termination from Program
• Follow up visits arranged by Paramedics
• Often save the last scheduled visit to evaluate progress
Questions?
Upcoming RARE Events….
RARE MH Collaborative Final Learning DayTuesday February 24, 2015
9:00am – 3:30pm
Maplewood Community Center2100 White Bear Avenue, Maplewood, MN
Registration now open!Register here
Future webinars…
To suggest future topics for this series, Reducing Avoidable Readmissions Effectively “RARE” Networking Webinars, contact:
Kathy Cummings, [email protected]
Jill Kemper, [email protected]