More paramedics needed in Greater Sudbury in face of aging population, high chronic disease rates

Greater Sudbury needs more paramedics. 

Melissa Roney, the Acting Deputy Chief of Emergency Services, says paramedics are no longer just advance first aiders who respond only to medical emergencies.

"[Paramedics] provide not only emergency response treatment, but also public safety education, health promotion, community advocacy, health support, this work improves the quality of life for our patients, allowing them to live more healthfully and longer in their homes, it lowers 911 calls and decreases emergency department utilization," Roney told city councillors on Wednesday. 

Currently the city has two community paramedic programs: the Health Promotion Community Paramedic program and the Care Transitions Community Paramedic program, which has specially trained paramedics who perform home visits to those who suffer chronic diseases.

Roney says many of these patients often do not go to the hospital for medical intervention until it is too late. She says with the community paramedics, patients are getting the treatment they need before they're in an emergency medical situation.

However, Roney says staff are already spread thin and there is a need to expand the community programs. 

Staff are asking city council for the funding to hire three more paramedics, a business case for which will be presented during the 2020 budget talks. 

One of the biggest reasons to expand these services is Sudbury's aging population.

"We have a high population percentage of older adults at 18.4 per cent, which is 1.7 per cent higher than the provincial average of 16.7 per cent," Roney says

She says northeastern Ontario is projected to have the highest growth of seniors with the highest ratios of chronic disease like diabetes and cardiovascular disease and there will be an increased demand for the community paramedic services because of this.

"This profession has evolved with a high level of clinical training and education, a paramedic can perform more procedures than most regulated health care professionals, doctors aside, in the field. Now with this next level of evolution paramedics are using this knowledge and experience and applying it to provide clinical intervention in a patients home," says Roney.