TP34 - Increasing Access to Behavioral Health Care in Rural Idaho Through Community Paramedicine
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
1:15 PM – 1:45 PM ET
Location: Hall BCD
Community paramedicine is a model of care whereby paramedics serve in non-traditional community-based environments, often outside the usual emergency response and transportation model. This presentation will provide an overview of the Washington County Community Paramedicine Program in rural Idaho. Presentation participants will learn how a community paramedicine program can increase access to care for people experiencing behavioral health needs and divert individuals from emergency departments, justice systems, and in-patient care. We will discuss how a local public health district and rural county worked together to create this community-led, community-driven approach to addressing the behavioral health needs of a rural community.
Learning Objectives:
Discuss Washington County’s model for advancing rural and remote access to care for individuals experiencing behavioral health needs
Clarify ways to engage critical partnerships for the development and implementation of a successful community paramedicine program
Explore what assessments, data, documentation, and reporting is needed to demonstrate success of a rural community paramedicine program
