Town honors EMS captain and presses state bills to reimburse home-based care

South Kingstown’s Town Council on March 9 honored Captain Frank Capaldi of the town’s EMS for his role in a community paramedic program that keeps residents out of the emergency room through in-home care, telehealth and coordinated referrals. Chief Craig Stanley described Capaldi’s work as defining “what this program is about,” and said the town plans to testify in favor of state legislation to reimburse certain non-transport EMS care.

The recognition came after an email request and a presentation from Chief Stanley highlighting examples where paramedic follow-up and navigation reduced repeat 911 calls and hospital admissions. “My job is to keep people out of the hospital and to try to keep people from going to the hospital for things that they shouldn’t have to go for,” Captain Frank Capaldi said, describing house calls, blood draws, telehealth consultations and pharmacy pickups as part of his team’s work. He said he currently manages roughly 40–45 patients in the program.

Council members framed the program as part of an effort to let residents age in place and to ease pressure on primary care resources. Chief Stanley and town staff said they will testify before the General Assembly in support of House Bill H7485 and Senate Bill S2685, which the town described as enabling reimbursement for “treat-in-place” EMS visits even when a patient is not transported to a hospital. Council members encouraged residents to write in support of H7485 and S2685 and staff said the town would post action steps on social media and provide guidance for submitting public comments.

The council stopped short of any new local funding commitment at the meeting; members and staff noted that passage of the state bills could provide revenue to sustain and expand referrals and social-service linkages. Chief Stanley said the bills would address a current funding incentive that rewards EMS only when a patient is transported, which can encourage unnecessary hospital transports. As he explained to the council, “under the existing structure there’s an incentive to pick them up and take them to the hospital even if there’s no need to do that because that’s the only way EMS will get paid.”

Next steps noted at the meeting: town staff and council members will testify at the scheduled legislative hearing on Thursday; the town will publicize how residents can submit support for the bills; and staff will continue to work with the EMS team to identify referral and internship opportunities. The council’s recognition of Captain Capaldi was passed during the March 9 meeting.