In rural Washington County, getting to the nearest hospitals in Glens Falls, Saratoga, Troy, or even Vermont can take a long time. That’s why the Cambridge Valley Rescue Squad (CVRS) started Community Paramedicine—bringing healthcare right to people’s homes. Paramedics visit patients for non-emergency needs like checking medications, helping manage ongoing health problems, and following up with people who call 911 often. This means fewer long trips to the hospital.
The program began in 2013 when CVRS leaders, including Mark Spiezio, worked with local health partners to start a “Community Check” service for frequent EMS users. With funding from New York State’s DSRIP program, they made over 1,000 home visits by 2019. During COVID-19, EMS agencies were allowed to give vaccines and rapid tests at home. In 2023, a new state law (Article 3018) created a pilot program for up to 55 EMS agencies, including CVRS, to run through 2027. State rules for the program are expected by September 2025.
Today, CVRS is funded by patient payments, small town contributions, and grants like those from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. They plan to add services such as medication education, COPD care, potassium testing, and other chronic care checks. All agencies in the pilot share their results with the state to help guide future policy—so that more rural EMS teams can offer this kind of care after 2027.
