Ep 28. NAEMT Radio - Community Population Health needs through MIH-CP Programs

Guests Melinda Wilson, community paramedic in a hospital-based EMS system in the East Tennessee Region and Justin Duncan, CEO for Washington County Ambulance District in rural Missouri join host Rob Lawrence to discuss their respective Community Paramedic / MIH Programs.  Despite the demise of ET3, the programs of both guests are thriving and sustainable and they share their operations with host Rob Lawrence.  Topics of discussion cover grant funding, business models, data quality and results, Community Paramedic credentialling and certification, rural EMS as well as ambulance and hospital ‘deserts’.

Resources:

Acute Hospital Care at Home Resources:

Acute Hospital Care at Home Resources (cms.gov)

State of Tennessee: CPC defined and requirements:

https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/1200/1200-12/1200-12-07.20200315.pdf

Acute care at home waiver:

https://qualitynet.cms.gov/acute-hospital-care-at-home

CMS announces hospital at home:

https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-announces-comprehensive-strategy-enhance-hospital-capacity-amid-covid-19-surge

Missouri EMS Association :  www.memsa.org         

Join the NAEMT

https://www.naemt.org/join/join

Melinda Wilson works as a community paramedic in a hospital organization in the East Tennessee Region.  Melinda entered the EMS workforce in 2013 as an EMT and quickly set her eyes on becoming a paramedic, which she achieved in early 2015.  She has since become a critical care paramedic and community paramedic.  She holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership.  During her career, Melinda has worked in the ER of a level-one trauma/comprehensive stroke center where paramedics operate on RN scope.

She maintains part-time employment in the ER while working for an EMS system and full-time as a community paramedic.  In January of 2023, Melinda set out with 9 other paramedics to obtain community paramedic credentials.  All 10 members of this class passed and have working full force to provide advanced care at home for acute care hospital patients since March 2023.  This program is new to Tennessee and the only program like it in the state; currently operating with community paramedics at the helm of patient interactions.

 

In addition to hospital, ambulance, and community paramedic experience Melinda currently serves on two NAEMT boards and an IBSC board.  She also serves on medical missions in the Dominican Republic with a non-profit organization where her primary function is to provide medical care and translate English/Spanish.  Her husband is a paramedic as well and shares her passion for working in the ER which is where he is currently employed.  They have two wonderful children, Marcos (13) and Delmy (8) both of whom are involved in countless activities that keep both parents busy without end.

Justin Duncan serves as the Chief Executive Officer for Washington County Ambulance District which is a regional mobile healthcare system in rural Missouri.  In addition, Chief Duncan is the President of the Missouri EMS Association (MEMSA), the Chair for the Missouri State Advisory Council - EMS, Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) Sub-Committee, founding member of the Washington County MIH Network and a founding member of the Missouri Highlands MIH Network.     

Chief Duncan has endeavored to maintain both breadth and depth in all his healthcare pursuits. He is a life-long advocate for EMS professionals, an ardent supporter of education, and is constantly looking for new ways to bring innovative therapies into the out-of-hospital setting. He is particularly passionate and a fierce advocate for mobile integrated healthcare systems and driving change to ensure EMS clinicians are recognized as healthcare providers.  

Chief Duncan is proudly considered a “disruptor” in the EMS and healthcare worlds.  He constantly pushes to advance EMS systems and strives to be a catalyst for change in the healthcare world. Above all else, Chief Duncan is a dedicated servant leader and strives to support those who take care of the ill and injured.