Medical Operations
Community Paramedic Program
In December 2016, the Arlington Fire Department concluded a one year indepth study of the Community Paramedic Program( CPP). The program is an effort to respond to the impacts of the Affordable Care Act, focusing on effectively managing healthcare issues in the home and improving the quality of life for program patients. The public / private partnership between the Arlington Fire Department, American Medical Response( AMR), our contracted ambulance provider, and Texas Health Resources Arlington Memorial Hospital( AMH) was successful in reducing 9-1-1 emergency responses by program patients by 85 %. The program reduced emergency room visits by participants by 56 % and reduced hospital readmissions by 77 %, with a minimum savings of $ 1.5 million in direct care costs.
CareFlite Award
Arlington Firefighters William Boyce, Jerry Glaeser, Robert Green, Mike Guadagnolo, Richard Fegan, and Phillip Tucker were awarded the CareFlite Great First Responder
Award in March 2016 for their lifesaving efforts on a cardiac arrest patient. The crew was nominated by Methodist Mansfield Medical Center personnel where the patient formerly worked in the MMMC emergency room. The patient made a full and complete recovery. The awards were presented during the annual CareFlite EMS conference at the Arlington Convention Center.
U. S. Conference of Mayors Award
Arlington was one of five national cities with populations of 100,000 or more to receive the U. S. Conference of Mayors 2016 Outstanding Achievement Award, in recognition of its Community Paramedic Program.
This award is an outstanding achievement for the Arlington Fire Department and the Arlington Community Paramedic Program and is validation from Mayors across the country that we are helping solve real healthcare issues in Arlington.
The award was announced at the U. S. Conference of Mayors’ 84th annual meeting held in Indianapolis June 2016.
DUTY / HONOR / COMPASSION / EXCELLENCE 18