Earlier today, the Board of Supervisors passed a very important item, especially for those in our rural areas. District 5 has a vast unincorporated area with many rural communities that have little or no access to healthcare.
During the COVID 19 Pandemic, it was nearly impossible to provide adequate COVID 19 testing and vaccinations in these very rural unincorporated areas. Then our County Fire, Cal-Fire, Department of Forestry, and 17 other departments stepped up to take part in Operation Collaboration. Together they administered 82,000 COVID 19 tests, 35,000 COVID 19 Vaccinations and 3,200 flu vaccinations. The success of this collaboration demonstrated the need in our county to implement a community paramedicine program that could include community public health education, prevention services, hospice care, and home visits to those in need.
Today, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to explore the feasibility of establishing such a program within the San Diego County Fire Protection District and report back in 180 days.
It is our hope that by delivering services to those hard-to-reach places, we can eliminate the need to drive or transport patients via ambulance, cut down on hospital readmissions, and most importantly, save lives.
