The Tuscaloosa City Council will be supporting a Paramedicine Program with The University of Alabama that will have nurse practitioners respond to 911 calls and go along with the city’s emergency services to the homes of those in need.  

The goal of the program is to have the UA-provided nurse practitioners treat patients in their home for non-serious conditions instead of taking an ambulance ride to the hospital, which is sometimes expensive for those who use the service. An example of these conditions could be flu-like symptoms, which may need attention but may not require a trip to the hospital. 

Along with nurse practitioners, physician assistants and mental health workers will be assisting in the program. A state medicaid grant totaling $500,000 would provide the funding necessary to get the program up and running.

The program will provide members of UA with hands-on experience and will possibly assist patients more quickly than a trip to the hospital would.

UA’s College of Community Health Sciences will be the ones to directly team up with the city, which is being modeled after a similar health program in Arizona. The program is set to begin on October 1.