- low-acuity calls are projected to decrease 13%,
high-acuity expected to increase 3% -
by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative
Essex County Council received the mid-year status update on the operations of Essex-Windsor EMS (EWEMS) as information at the July 17 meeting.
The report focused on the effects of the efforts made so far in 2024 pertaining to paramedic staffing, ambulance enhancements, and collaborations with hospitals to reduce off-load delays.
EWEMS Chief Justin Lammers noted there has been an increase in call volume, which has been ongoing.
Most notably, the low-acuity Code 3 calls are projected to decrease 13% this year, which Lammers said can be contributed to the work provided through the Mobile Integrated Healthcare Community Paramedicine program and all the efforts of all the Essex-Windsor Ontario Health Team partners that make sure patients in the region “are getting the right care, at the right place, at the right time.”
High-acuity Code 4 responses, however, are projected to increase 3%.
In looking at staffing, the Report to County Council notes as part of the 2024 Master Plan refresh, reviewing resource placement to better coincide with the increase in call volume between 6am and 7pm will occur. Essex-Windsor EMS will undergo a master schedule rebuild in the spring of 2025, where all shift start and end times will be evaluated and adjusted as necessary.
In addition, Lammers noted there is a decreasing trend in Code Reds – when three or less ambulances are available – and Code Blacks – when no ambulances are available – with 2024 projected to have a 71% decrease in instances of Code Black compared to 2023.
The volume of Code Reds and Code Blacks in recent years has been a concern at the County Council table.
In a report Lammers presented to County Council in March, it noted there were 1701 Code Black minutes in 2023. There were 8907 Code Red minutes.
In speaking of the collaboration between EWEMS and hospital partners, Lammers highlighted that offload delays are decreasing and activation of the paramedic off-load program are nearly non-existent.
“These are both great indicators and we will continue to monitor the work, but it does not stop here,” Lammers said, noting EWEMS administration “is pulling every single lever we can to keep the ship straight.”
He added the entire EWEMS team is engaged and everyone is doing what they can to keep operations running smoothly.
On July 1, EWEMS began working with the Operational Research and Health organization to refresh the 2019 EWEMS Master Plan as approved in the County’s 2024 Budget.
“This refresh aims to reassess the region’s current state, considering factors like economic investments, population growth, patient demographics, and our service profile,” Lammer said, adding it will also evaluate if EWEMS’s service delivery aligns with best practices identified in other Ontario municipalities.
This refresh is expected to take 19-weeks to complete, with a report detailing results and recommendations expected to go before County Council either by the end of the year or early in 2025.
Kingsville Mayor Dennis Rogers commended Lammers and his team.
“This is tremendous news,” he said.
Lammers added EWEMS is always appreciative of the support shown by County Council in its mission to improve.
Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy said this news is indicating EWEMS is headed in the right direction, and that the right people are in the right places.
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