As emerging changes in healthcare affect our community on an almost daily basis, the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety is expanding our response to these needs with the launch of our community paramedicine program – My Watch Alpharetta. My Watch, under the direction of Fire EMS Chief Jim Darling, was developed with a specific focus towards the areas of injury prevention, public education, and patient advocacy to help meet the ever-changing needs of those within our community.
The concept of community paramedicine represents one of the most progressive and historically based evolutions available to community-based healthcare and to the Emergency Medical Services arena. By utilizing Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers in an expanded role, community paramedicine increases patient access to primary and preventative care, provides wellness interventions within the medical home model, decreases emergency department utilization, saves healthcare dollars, and improves patient outcomes.