The way people access health care continues to evolve in Greenville as in other places, with more people calling 911 to address medical needs that are serious but not acute and could be better met through other means.
Beginning this fall, some callers requesting Greenville County Emergency Medical Service assistance will be offered comprehensive care tailored to their needs through the Prehospital Assisted Treatment and Healthcare Services program.
The PATHS project will triage low-acuity EMS calls — which are less severe — to determine appropriate interventions with the help of a community paramedic and a nurse practitioner. The goal is to provide a high quality of care for nonurgent medical needs in the most cost-effective manner, preserving critical resources for the most urgent cases.
PATHS was developed through a collaborative effort with Greenville County EMS and local health care providers. Community Foundation of Greenville made a grant of $80,000 for the project. Additional funding was provided by a grant from the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
Lindsey K. Kilgo, program officer for the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation, said the need for such a program was noted during multiple conversations with Greenville County EMS.
“Co-investing with Community Foundation of Greenville allows us to support innovative, community-driven solutions that help do more and do better for the health of South Carolinians in Greenville County,” Kilgo said.
In Greenville County, during a three-month period in 2024, 2,700 low-acuity calls were received, all of which could be intercepted through this project.
The nurse practitioner can help connect patients to continuous primary care and health education and assess other barriers to care such as transportation and economic instability. The program has the potential to decrease response wait times, since often patients are stalled in the emergency room along with EMS staff and ambulances if there is no bed available in the hospital.
“This project aligns clinical response to meet patient needs while helping reduce barriers to care and easing the burden on emergency systems. If successful, it could serve as a model for how EMS delivers care in other communities across the state,” Kilgo said.
Phil Head, director of clinical services for Greenville County EMS, said the grant covers salaries, technical equipment, medical oversight and consultancy with an epidemiologist to assist with population statistics and research to identify gaps in care.
“If we can safely offer them an assessment, either in their home, or via telehealth, the health care team will be able to provide care and potentially connect them with community resources to help them engage more efficiently with the health care system,” Head said.
Although similar programs exist, PATHS was created specifically for South Carolina with enhancements to the project design.
“The foundation is excited about this project because it’s not been done before in South Carolina,” Kilgo said. “As South Carolina’s only state-based, statewide health funder, it’s our role to seek unique projects that can make an impact.”
Visit cfgreenville.org to learn more about the Community Foundation of Greenville.
