The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has provided funding to allow Parkland Ambulance to grow the community paramedic program for six months. (Twitter/Parkland Ambulance)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Community Health Care

SHA helps temporarily extend health initiative

Jun 5, 2020 | 1:40 PM

The community paramedic program in Prince Albert is temporarily expanding.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has provided funding which will allow Parkland Ambulance to expand the services of their community paramedics program for the next six months. Jordan Ambrose, director of operations for Parkland Ambulance said the news is welcome.

“It’s really exciting, it gives us the opportunity now to look at other areas where we can provide coverage,” he said.

Ambrose explained they will be able to grow their staffing and offer longer hours of service. Ambrose added they are looking forward to doing more to provide care in areas where it is needed.

“The big thing that we do is fill gaps in service,” he said.

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One potential new project could see community paramedics work with doctors who are currently providing virtual care to their patients. Ambrose said they have been in communication with groups looking at how they could work together.

“Work with the doctor virtually to get those orders filled in that patient’s home without the patient ever having to leave their home,” he said.

The community paramedic program sees medics go into long term care facilities and work with home care to provide services to people on site instead of transporting them to hospital. The medics are also in contact with physicians when providing care. With the provincial health authority providing the funding there is no direct cost to patients accessing the service through the expanded program.

Ambrose said since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ambulance service community paramedics have been busier. Speaking about whether the expansion could become permanent, Ambrose said that decision is up to the SHA.

“It is a temporary thing to support the pandemic and the things that are happening because of the pandemic,” he said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn