Johnston County Medical Services Community Paramedic Program
- Program Representative(s) Interviewed: Sarah Piper, Community Paramedic Coordinator
- Location: Johnston County, North Carolina
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Program Overview: Launched in 2015, the Johnston County
Community Paramedic Program aims to reduce high 911 utilization and hospital readmission rates for
diagnoses such as congestive heart failure, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Through the program, community paramedics conduct home visits and provide case management services,
including medication reconciliation, social and home safety assessments, disease-specific education, vital
sign checks, appointment scheduling, and connect patients with community support services.
The program uses a health confidence score on a scale of one to ten to assess patients’ confidence in managing their health. Patients rate their health confidence at the beginning and end of the program and must achieve a score of eight or greater to graduate from the program. Most patients are enrolled in the program for an average of 30 days. The Johnston County program reported an 85% success rate in preventing readmissions for high-risk patients.
In July 2024, the program expanded to launch the Post Overdose Response Team. In partnership with Johnston County Public Health, the program offers follow-up support for those recovering from substance use disorders (SUD). The team is bridging the gap to recovery care by meeting the patient where they are at and providing medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), connections to SUD treatment and detox, and linking patients and their families to other recovery services.