Paramedicine Program Chips Away at High ED Use, Links Patients to Appropriate Care

  • Published On  Sep 25, 2023
  • Author  Dorothy Brooks

Excerpt

Chicago-based Medical Home Network (MHN) is partnering with community paramedics at the Chicago Fire Department on a program aimed at helping patients manage their chronic conditions and appropriately navigate the health system. The program, which began in October 2022, is focused on steering patients away from calling 911 or presenting to EDs with nonurgent care needs.

The pilot grew out of conversations between MHN and Katie Tataris, MD, MPH, an emergency physician and the University of Chicago’s EMS medical director. “We felt like we were missing ... a connection to what happens to patients when they are discharged from the hospital or when they’re seeking primary care or chronic care management in the ED,” says Ashley Kloos, MPH, director of enterprise care innovation and quality at MHN.

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