North Memorial Launches Innovative Way to Provide Care at Home

North Memorial Medical Center is the first hospital in the Minnesota to implement what's being called the community paramedic program. Community paramedics, operating under the direction of primary care providers, represent a new health care model designed to lower costs by reducing unnecessary emergency visits and hospital readmission.

The “paramedic” part of the designation is somewhat misleading. Community paramedics do not work in an emergency response capacity but rather perform their function as part of a scheduled intervention as part of a care plan.

Community paramedics can provide health screening assessments, immunizations, medication checks, disease management and referral into the mental health care system.

North Memorial currently employs nine community paramedics who serve patients in the northwest Twin Cities area.

Minnesota is the first state in the country to provide certification training for community paramedics.

Community Paramedics in the Media