>>> IF YOU'VE EVER ACTED WITH A PARAMEDIC, IT'S LIKELY BEEN FOR A MEDICAL EMERGENCY AT YOUR HOME, BUT A PILOT PROGRAM LAUNCHED LAST FALL PUTS PARAMEDICS INSIDE PATIENT'S HOMES FOR NONEMERGENCY VISITS, TOO.

WELL, COMMUNITY PARAMEDICS ARE MAKING HOUSE CALLS FOR HIGH-RISK PATIENTS ON THE SOUTH SIDE TO HELP THEM BETTER MANAGE CHRONIC CONDITIONS AND SUPPORT RECOVERY FROM HOSPITALIZATION.

THEIR AIM IS TO IMPROVE LONG-TERM HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR THEIR PATIENTS, AND THEY SAY IT IS PAYING OFF.

ERICA GUNDERSON DID THE ROUNDS WITH ONE OF THE TEAMS.

>> WHEN YOU SAW DR. HIGGINBOTHAM, DID HE GIVE YOU, LIKE, AN AFTER VISIT SUMMARY?

>> YES HE DID.

>> PARAMEDICS INHERENTLY WERE DETECTIVES.

WE WALKED INTO A HOME, WE SEE THINGS THAT ARE DISCONNECTED TO HOW SOMEONE IS MANAGING THEIR CARE AT HOME.

>> DO THEY HAVE THEIR MEDICATIONS READY TO GO?

DO THEY HAVE THEM IN A PLACE THAT THEY EVEN KNOW WHERE THEY ARE?

>> CAN THEY GET THEIR MEDICATION BUT DISCONNECTED AND I WANT TO TAKE THEM?

>> WHEN MARGARET AND LAUREN O'CONNOR COME TO DENISE JACKSON'S HOME, THEY VISIT LANCE PALMER BETWEEN A HEALTHCARE HOUSECALL AND A CHECK IN WITH A FRIEND.

>> I REMEMBER HEARING YOU SAY ON VISIT ONE, HOW MUCH YOU WANTED TO SING AGAIN, AND HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO YOU.

>> BACK IN 2022, A COVID INFECTION DEVASTATED JACKSON'S LUNGS AND LEFT HER BEDRIDDEN.

>> NOBODY HAD NO ANSWERS .

SO PRETTY MUCH I JUST LAID IN THE BED AND WAITED FOR AN ANSWER.

>> THAT CHANGED WHEN JACKSON BECAME A PARTICIPANT IN THE MEDICAL HOME NETWORK PARAMEDIC PARTNERSHIP , A PILOT PROGRAM THAT LAUNCHED IN OCTOBER 2022.

THE PROGRAM CONNECTS CHICAGO FIRE DEPARTMENT PARAMEDICS WITH PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP MANAGING CHRONIC CONDITIONS AT HOME.

>> THE TWO LADIES CAME TO THE DOOR, AND THEY CAME IN WITH SMILES, AND THEY WAS SO EXCITED.

THEY MADE ME EXCITED!

>> O'CONNOR COORDINATED JACKSON'S CARE WITH HER DOCTORS, HELPED HER MANAGE HER MEDICATION , AND RESEARCHED EXERCISES TO STRENGTHEN HER LUNGS.

>> I'VE BEEN TIRED.

TIRED OF FIGHTING.

BUT YOU ALL CAME AND KEPT ME MOTIVATED.

>> YOU'RE GIVING ME GOOSEBUMPS.

>> THE WHOLE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN IN THIS PROGRAM, I HAVE NOT BEEN BACK IN THE HOSPITAL.

I AM ENJOYING LIFE AGAIN.

>> THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.

>> DISTRICT CHIEF JONATHAN ZINCS SAYS PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS OFTEN FIND THEMSELVES TRAPPED IN THE SELF-PERPETUATING EMERGENCY ROOM CYCLE THAT CONSTRAIN CFD RESOURCES.

>> FIRE DEPARTMENT, AMBULANCES, AND THE ENGINES OF THE PARAMEDICS ON THOSE TRUCKS AND OTHER VEHICLES RESPOND EVERY DAY THROUGHOUT THE DAY TO 911 EMERGENCIES.

MANY OF THESE EMERGENCIES ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF CHRONIC HEALTHCARE CONDITIONS THAT HAVE CAUSED PEOPLE TO GET TO A POINT WHERE THEIR ONLY RECOURSE IS TO DIAL 911 AND GO TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM.

>> PROGRAM LEADERSHIP SAYS PARAMEDICS ARE UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO INTERRUPT THAT CYCLE.

IF THEY'RE GIVEN THE RIGHT WILL SPIT >> THEY'RE NOT ONLY COMFORTABLE IN THE HOME ENVIRONMENT, BUT THEY'RE ALSO COMFORTABLE IN GETTING THINGS DONE.

THEY REALLY ASSESS AND SAY, WHAT ARE SOME VERY CONCRETE ACTION STEPS THAT WE , AS THIS BROAD CARE TEAM, CAN TAKE TO REALLY SERVE THE PATIENT BETTER?

>> THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, FINDING SO MANY THINGS, LIKE BROKEN WHEELCHAIRS, AND MEDICATIONS THAT NEEDED TO BE REFILLED, THAT AS WE BEGAN THE CONVERSATION, WE UNDERSTOOD THAT WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR AS WELL WAS SOMEONE TO ACTUALLY WORK WITH OUR PATIENTS , AND IT JUST ALL CAME TOGETHER .

>> PARTICIPANT ROSA GONZALEZ SAYS O'CONNOR OFFERED THE INFORMATION SHE NEEDED TO RECOVER FROM HOSPITALIZATION FOR A HEART CONDITION.

>> WHEN HE MET YOU, YOU COULDN'T WALK LIKE A BLOCK.

>> I COULDN'T EVEN WALK FROM HERE TO THE WASHROOM.

LIKE, 10 STEPS.

>> WITHOUT BEING TOTALLY WINDED.

>> YES.

>> AND NOW WHAT DO YOU DO?

>> I GO WALKING.

I GO BIKE RIDING.

>> I THINK YOU TOLD US UP TO FIVE MILES NOW?

>> GONZALEZ SAYS THEY ALSO PROVIDED THE SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT SHE NEEDED TO CONTINUE PROACTIVELY MANAGING HER HEALTH.

>> WHEN I WENT TO HOSPITAL, MY HEART WAS WORKING ON 10%!

AND I HAD A -- SO I TOOK OVER HEALTH , AND I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT I'M -- AND THERE'S ONE THING HERE.

THEY'RE AMAZING.

AND THEY'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE IN MY HEART FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

>> NINE MONTHS INTO THE PILOT, VEINS SAYS THE RESULTS ARE SPEAKING FOR THEMSELVES.

>> WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE CALLING 911 50 TIMES A YEAR, BUT THEN STOPPED CALLING 911 , BECAUSE THEY SUDDENLY REGAINED CONTROL OF THEIR HEALTH.

IT JUST HONESTLY BLOWS ME OUT OF THE WATER HOW DRAMATIC THAT IMPROVEMENT HAS BEEN , THE CHANGES IN PEOPLE'S LIVES, AND THE ENGAGEMENT.

>> AND YOU ARE AN OFFICIAL GRADUATE NOW!

>> FOR CHICAGO TONIGHT, THIS IS ERICA GUNDERSON.

>> THE PILOT PROGRAM IS FUNDED