Captain Greg Kane, operations section commander for Okaloosa County EMS, told the board that a community paramedicine program launched in July 2024 has been used to respond to overdoses and to manage chronic medical patients countywide.

Kane said the program responded to roughly 190 overdoses in the past 12 months, made contact with about 58% of those patients and helped enroll about 43% of the people they reached into some form of treatment. "In July 2024, we implemented a community paramedicine program with the focus being on reducing overdose deaths as well as, disease management with our clients within Okaloosa County," Kane said.

The program also treated more than 400 medical patients in the past year, Kane said, helping with medication reconciliation and primary care connections. "We've managed to help them get to primary care when they didn't before," he said, adding that the county has seen a reduction in the number of times those patients used 911-based medical care and an overall reduction in the mortality rate the program aimed to address.

Kane attributed the work to partnerships with the Okaloosa County Health Department, Bridgeway Center and local law enforcement. He said EMS and partners have distributed more than 4,700 doses of naloxone (Narcan) and that EMS crews hand out post-overdose "save-your-life" kits at residences where naloxone was administered.

Kane said naloxone is available at no cost from the county health department or the EMS agency. He said the county has posted informational signs at county parks to help bystanders respond to overdoses and that post-overdose support teams hand out naloxone and resources at multiple locations in Baker, Crestview, Niceville, Fort Walton and Destin.

The EMS office also offers training and outreach to community groups, businesses, churches, daycares and schools; Kane directed interested groups to the county website, which includes a referral link for the mobile integrated health/community paramedicine program.

The remarks were informational; no formal motions, votes or policy changes were recorded during Kane's presentation. Kane characterized the program's goals as reducing overdose deaths, improving disease management and decreasing unnecessary 911 utilization.