Lanark County Council received a report from Lanark County Paramedic Services (LCPS) Chief Travis Mellema summarizing 2024 activities.
At the corporate services committee meeting earlier this month, Mellema highlighted the Community Paramedicine Program, which has seen an increase in new patients in its long-term care pilot program. The overall program has serviced 1,985 clients since 2019, with 6,184 patient interactions in 2024, up from 4,672 in 2023. Activities include various assessments, tests, patient monitoring, and vaccine and wellness clinics. Mellema said an area of focus in 2024 was to conduct follow-up visits within 24 hours of a client calling 911 in order to reduce repeat calls for potentially avoidable reasons
He noted several examples of the positive impact of the program, including connecting patients to services, detecting new medical issues and improving quality of life.
In 2024, total calls dispatched to LCPS were 24,380, an increase of 1,839 from the previous year.
The top three reasons for 911 calls were for breathing problems, falls and unknown emergencies.
submitted by Lanark County
