Regional West Emergency Medical Services Introduces Community Paramedic Program

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., ― Regional West Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has recently launched a community paramedic program to help serve the needs of the region’s patients.

The community paramedic program is designed to expand the role of the EMS team to help bridge the gaps in rural healthcare. Through a referral-based program, community paramedics meet with patients and their families post-discharge to make sure patients understand their care information and have the tools to recover at home, helping to reduce the risk of unnecessary Emergency Department visits and hospital readmission. Additionally, the program will help connect patients to community resources.

Community paramedic Robby Rhembrandt, NRP, FP-C, C-NPT, CP-C, CCP-C, TP-C, said that the program aims to improve communication between patients and Regional West so that the transition from hospital to home goes more smoothly.

“When patients or their families are going through a healthcare event, they may not have questions immediately, but they might in the 36 hours post discharge when they’re home and going through their instructions or their new medications,” he said. “We’re there to help them through that.”

Regional West EMS Director Shawn Baumgartner, NRP, ASM, added that the program is not meant to duplicate existing services in the community, but rather connect patients to the services they need.

“All of our community services have their niche, and they are all important niches. This program is a way for us to plug patients into these services so that they are getting the right care for them,” he said.

For questions or more information, please call the Scottsbluff EMS station at 308-635-0511.

About Regional West

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Nebraska is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a regional referral center and the only Level II Trauma Center in Nebraska west of Kearney. Since 1924, Regional West has served the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming through innovative healthcare services. As the region’s sole tertiary medical center, Regional West offers an expansive array of medical specialties and numerous physician clinics.