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Seminole County Fire Dept. Shares Success of its CP Program
PRESS RELEASE
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL—30-year-old Seminole County resident Jordan Migliacci became paralyzed after a hit-and-run car crash and has had challenges finding help with home care. He frequently called 9-1-1 because of those challenges.
Winter Springs resident Marilyn Logan is a full-time caregiver to her husband who has dementia and frequently falls.
Migliacci and Logan are two of the many residents who have used Seminole County Fire Department’s (SCFD) Community Paramedicine program. The program was soft-launched in late December 2021.
Since that time, 47 residents have enrolled in the program and the CP team has made more than 455 visits throughout the county. The program is free for Seminole County residents.
“This kind of proactive program is greatly needed in Seminole County, especially by senior adults and caregivers,” said Logan. “The team always treats my husband with such respect and dignity, and they bring not only genuine concern and help, but joy to our home.”
“I know that when Seminole County Fire Department’s community paramedics are here that they truly care about me and my welfare,” said Migliacci. “It’s comforting to have this type of advocacy and kindness.”
Typical visits can range from ensuring residents understand proper use of diabetic medications to helping connect residents with resources to prevent falls if there’s an uneven floorboard or another home hazard.
“We have a variety of goals with this program and it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach,” said Lt. Curtis Halcom, who leads the SCFD CP team. “We listen and learn about their needs and challenges. Then we work to address those challenges. Ultimately, we want to ensure residents have their basic needs met and avoid unnecessary hospital visits.”
Lt. Halcom leads a trained team of paramedics with one full-time paramedic and three rotating shift paramedics. Currently, the program is funded through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars and was a priority for the Seminole County Board of County Commissioners.
“We are proud to support this rapidly evolving field of community paramedicine that is individual-centric to best serve our residents,” said Seminole County Board Chairman Bob Dallari. “This proactive health model not only helps residents, but it helps save money and avoids unnecessary strain on our first responders, emergency rooms and other care partners by alleviating some of those issues by helping people in their homes.”
