Submitted by San Juan Island EMS

San Juan Island EMS Community Paramedic Director Lainey Volk spent a portion of her day on Thanksgiving delivering dinners to 15 of her patients/clients who are vulnerable and shut-in. Several of these people have no other family on the island.

The meals, including turkey with all the trimmings, were procured from the San Juan Island Community Dinner and delivered to all ends of the island.

“Several cried at the kindness. I was called an angel by a few as well. Sometimes this job is very rewarding” said Volk.

The main goals of the community paramedicine program are to improve the quality of life and health for our citizens while reducing the cost of healthcare. This meets the hospital district’s goal of “aging in place,” by helping meet the needs of higher-risk patients while keeping them in their homes.

Through Community Paramedicine, we can identify short- and long-term patient outcomes that are appropriate for measuring the success of a variety of interventions.

There are typically an average of three dozen patients participating in this program at any given time. Community Paramedicine is funded in part by the state, and in part by the local hospital district’s San Juan Island EMS property tax levy.