Northern Ont. paramedics target LTC homes to reduce ER times

In a push to reduce ER wait times, the Cochrane District Paramedic Service is piloting the Community Paramedicine for Long Term Care Plus program in Ont., with a focus on providing on-site diagnostic services such as blood tests and ultrasounds at select long-term care facilities. The six-month pilot is being conducted at Gold Manor Extendicare and the Timmins and District Hospital site at St. Mary's in Timmins, as well as Extendicare and Foyers des Pionniers in Kapuskasing. Two full-time paramedics were hired in Timmins and one in Kapuskasing to support the program. The service may also extend to unrostered patients referred by doctors.