THE CONNECT COMMUNITY PARAMEDICINE PILOT PROGRAM
Robert J. McCaughan
Vice President, Prehospital Care Services
•
History of the program in Pittsburgh E.M.S.
•
CONNECT Community Paramedicine Pilot Program:
– A two year, $600K collaborative pilot, funded equally by Highmark and
the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)
– Administered through the Congress of Neighboring Communities
(CONNECT: based at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of
Public and International Affairs') and the Allegheny County EMS Council
– Selection criteria used was based on the City of Pittsburgh and the 36
municipalities that comprise the county’s urban core and “CONNECT” to
the City of Pittsburgh. Population served ~ 460,000
– Involves 17 of the 46 licensed EMS agencies in Allegheny County
– EMS Providers as partners: 20-30 local providers will be trained as
Community Paramedics for the program
robert.mccaughan@ahn.org
THE CONNECT COMMUNITY PARAMEDICINE PILOT PROGRAM
Robert J. McCaughan
Vice President, Prehospital Care Services
– 15 Emergency Departments from Allegheny Health Network and UPMC
will be referring patients along with the EMS provider community
•
The CONNECT pilot program aims to:
– Reduce 30 day hospital readmission rates for CHF and other chronic
diseases;
– Increase the number of patients actively enrolled in social service
programs based on their psychosocial needs; and
– Improve health-related quality of life scores for participants completing
the program compared to their baseline scores at intake.
• Congressional and HHS briefing in March of 2013: Data, data, data!
robert.mccaughan@ahn.org