Its Mobile Integrated Health teams have helped reduce visits to emergency rooms
Some impressive numbers for Niagara EMS's Mobile Integrated Health program, which are teams helping the homeless, or seniors in long-term care homes.
Commander Marty Mako says last year ambulance workers responded to almost 96,000 calls.
He adds their specialized teams worked on about 9.5-percent of those calls, diverting people from emergency departments. "We responded to just under 7,000 low acuity calls in 2024, and our ED diversion rate was over 88%, which is quite successful, in getting people the right care, at the right place, at the right time."
He points to a 60% cost savings for ambulance time and resources.
While Niagara EMS works around the clock, an outreach team is only daytime for now. "We were trying to work with, at the time, there was the Out of the Cold Program, and trying to connect with those initiatives, where we saw those people connected with other services. So, that was the rational at the beginning, to try and connect with those other groups."
He adds they're working with the provincial government for more options to help avoid hospital visits.
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