Mayo part of a Community Mobile Health Systems pilot program

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — Mayo Regional Hospital’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department is piloting an innovative approach to patient centered care in a limited paramedicine trial program they have named Community Mobile Health Systems (CMHS).
    “Our team can help patients relying on the emergency department as their healthcare safety-net navigate to more appropriate care settings,” said Eric Young, director of Mayo EMS. “This program could go a long way to bridge the gap between a stressed emergency care system and the high cost of treating patients who access the emergency care setting unnecessarily,”

Photo courtesy of Mayo Regional Hospital

BRIDGING THE GAP TO PUT THE HEALTHCARE PUZZLE TOGETHER — Mayo EMS Director Eric Young, CMHS Coordinator Megan Clark and the EMS Department have been involved in a Community Mobile Health Systems (CMHS) pilot program. Under the CMHS model, EMS responders are referred by a primary care provider to go directly to a patient’s home to assess and provide services.

    In the CMHS model EMS responders are referred by a primary care provider to go directly to a patient’s home to assess and provide services. Since January under the direction of primary care providers at Dover-Foxcroft Family Medicine and with active communication and coordination between existing public health and home health agencies, Mayo EMS providers are taking the initiative to cover unmet health care needs, reduce unnecessary visits to the emergency department and keep patients from falling in the gaps of current care coverage.
    Megan Clark is leading the effort at Mayo EMS in her role as the CMHS coordinator. “Our motto is, ‘bridging the gap to put your healthcare puzzle together,’” said Clark. Since the launch of Mayo’s CMHS Program Clark has visited patients at home for blood draws, blood pressure checks, home safety and fall prevention inspections, medication reconciliation, wound care and post-discharge follow up for chronic illnesses. “We become an extra set of eyes and ears for our physicians,” said Clark.  
    The program at Mayo has broad support across departments including Mayo Social Services and the primary care team at Dover-Foxcroft Family Medicine. Dr. David McDermott, medical director of Inpatient and Emergency Services, and Fran Moore, director of Rehabilitative Services, were both early advocates for the program. “The work being performed as a result of this initiative is critical to help ensure successful outcomes following medical intervention for people experiencing socioeconomic challenges or isolation. It is extremely important work,” said Moore.
    Last year under the Department of Public Safety, Maine Emergency Medical Services launched a statewide Community Paramedicine Pilot Project. While there have been some very successful EMS community paramedicine programs initiated around the country over the past several years, the state of Maine is the first in the nation to start a statewide project. Mayo is one of 12 sites in this pilot program. The pilot sites meet together monthly to share experiences and review best practices.
    In a recent article in the March 2014 issue of EMS World Magazine titled, The $500 Million Idea, John Eric writes, “If Congress lets CMS (the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) reimburse EMS for taking patients to destinations like physician’s offices or health centers or even just treating them on the scene, it could save $283—$560 million or more a year.” He goes on to suggest that innovative approaches such as the community paramedicine model “can help us achieve better care at a lower cost”.
    The dilemma is that currently these services are not reimbursable by either Medicare or MaineCare. Mayo and the other pilot sites are running the programs with visionary optimism and good will because good patient care makes good sense. Young, Clark and many of their colleagues statewide are hopeful that state and federal legislation will pass in support of reimbursement for community paramedicine programs. Mayo’s pilot program currently services Dover-Foxcroft with hopes to expand to Milo.