How CEOs Are Engaging EMS to Help Reduce Costs

Are readmissions dropping? Do patients understand their medications? According a New York Times article, a community paramedic program in Texas helped cut more than 1,000 911 calls per year to the EMS MedStar.

With stats like that in mind, Montera said they've built into the pilot an evaluation tool to collect data and prove that the program saves money.

Whether the EMS in your community is paid or volunteer, or whether you plan on implementing a community paramedic program doesn't matter; Montera said hospital CEOs should reach out to them anyway.

"Invite them to the table to start talking about their issues, because their issues are equally as important as those in the hospital, and I bet oftentimes you'll find that those issues are probably the same," he said. "Impacting healthcare in the community happens across many spectrums, and if we're going to be leaders, we need to act like leaders, and pick up the phone and talk to each other."