Emergency Medical Services as First Line of Support

I will implement a focused palliative curriculum and hospice patient protocol to enable emergency medical services (EMS) clinicians to become the first line of support for seriously ill patients in crisis. With its ubiquitous reach, EMS has untapped potential to deliver palliative services both where and when patients need them most. These interventions will equip EMS clinicians with the essential skills and oversight support needed to deliver meaningful palliative interventions at home, which reflects a national shift in EMS scope towards treatment-in-place instead of default transport to hospitals. By extending access to palliative care that may otherwise be limited by social determinants of health, this EMS collaboration improves the quality of care and patient experience for all Americans.