\ud83d\udc9b Communtiy Builders Awards: For their deep commitment to the health of the community, the Community Paramedicine Program is recognized as this year\u2019s Health Care award recipient<\/p>\n
For the team behind Sault Ste. Marie\u2019s Community Paramedicine Program, making a difference in the community doesn\u2019t always mean responding to an emergency.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, it means helping someone access food, finding a way to connect a patient with the right service, helping an older adult navigate the health care system or simply finding a sustainable solution that prevents someone from reaching another crisis point.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s that commitment to helping people stay healthier and more connected to the services they need that has earned the Community Paramedicine Program the Health Care award for this year\u2019s SooToday Community Builders Awards.<\/p>\n
The recognition was met with plenty of excitement \u2014 but also a deep sense of gratitude from the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were very happy and honoured to receive this recognition,\u201d Commander of Community Paramedicine, Julie Cole said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHearing from patients and families we\u2019ve supported, as well as many of our partner agencies, was incredibly compelling and heartwarming.\u201d<\/p>\n
While paramedics are often associated with responding to emergencies, community paramedics take a different approach.<\/p>\n
Rather than only stepping in when a crisis occurs, the team works to help people manage their health and connect with resources in the community before those crises happen.<\/p>\n
For the team, that difference is at the heart of why the program exists.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you work as a paramedic, you\u2019re often dealing with emergencies and seeing such a brief window into somebody\u2019s crisis or into somebody\u2019s life,\u201d Cole explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou might go there again the next week and see another brief window of that person\u2019s life and that person\u2019s crisis. You start asking, why does this continue to happen?\u201d<\/p>\n
Those questions have helped drive the program\u2019s work to identify the gaps that can leave people struggling to find the care, resources and support they need.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, those gaps exist within the health-care system.<\/p>\n
Other times, they involve social services, food security or simply not knowing where to turn for help.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor those of us who are in the system and working in the system, sometimes we even have a hard time navigating it,\u201d Cole said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can only imagine what it\u2019s like for patients.\u201d<\/p>\n
Community paramedics work to help make that process easier, connecting people with appropriate services and looking for solutions that can make a lasting difference in their lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we can get somebody housed, for example, that\u2019s a major milestone,\u201d Cole said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we can get somebody who is food insecure into some kind of food programming so that they have food regularly, those are big wins for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those wins are a reminder that community care can take many forms.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes it\u2019s just being able to solve a problem for somebody,\u201d Cole said.<\/p>\n
Still, receiving the Health Care award has provided an important reminder to the Community Paramedicine team that its work is having an impact.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe team is very humble and I\u2019m often telling them that they have a huge impact,\u201d Cole said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know if they always believe me, so this just reinforces the level of impact that they are having on this community and on the system in general.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, Cole hopes to continue expanding the program and reaching even more people who need support.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish I could double the size of the team so we could do more,\u201d Cole said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the plan and that\u2019s the goal \u2014 to always continue finding those gaps and finding sustainable solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the Community Paramedicine Program, the work is ultimately about more than responding to problems as they arise.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s about understanding why those problems keep happening, helping people navigate the systems around them and finding solutions that can make life a little easier.<\/p>\n
And for a community, those everyday victories can make a lasting difference.<\/p>\n
The Health Care award honours an individual or group that has made an exceptional and meaningful contribution to the health and well-being of the community.<\/p>\n
This award is generously sponsored by Final Touch<\/a>.<\/p>\n SooToday is proud to recognize those making a difference in our community with our Community Builders Awards, a foundational piece of our GoodWorks program<\/a>.<\/p>\n