In 2015, the Province of BC piloted the program known as the “Community Paramedicine Program” in 9 communities.
Since then, the program has expanded their operations to a total of 99 locations across the province.
One of those communities selected was Smithers.
The objective of this program is simple, to stabilize the workload for paramedic staff in rural and remote communities. The hopes are they will also be able to bridge the gap between immobile citizens and their health-referral needs.
Migon Cochrane is the representative for the Community Paramedicine Program in Smithers and lays out what her job entails.
“I think people will associate this program with just medical or healthcare type topics and that’s not the case. The program is basically a non-emergency, educational, and prevention program. Not only do we go into schools to educate students on the health system but we also make home visits to referred patients battling diseases. Whether it be education or assessing someone’s personal health needs at home, we’re there to help.”
Potential things students may learn from Cochrane are:
- How to properly call 9-1-1
- Proper hand washing techniques and hygiene
- Infection control
- CPR and AED awareness
Cochrane operates a non-emergency SUV that is equipped with a basic life support kit. Although she can respond to emergency situations, she cannot legally transport any human in her SUV.
Cochrane says her geographical area of work covers from Witset to Quick . She is available to respond to calls anywhere from Tuesday-Friday, 8:00 am- 6:00 pm. If there are any issues outside of that time, she can be contacted by either phone or email.
The Community Paramedicine Program has been in Smithers for a little over two months now and Cochrane said a lot of her job to this point, has been educating the public on the service they’re trying to offer.
If you are looking for Cochrane to help out, be sure to consult with your primary care physician or local healthcare team, to see if you meet the requirements of the BC Paramedicine Program.
More on the BC Paramedicine Program can be found here.
Smithers Community Paramedic 1-250-643-2731