Supporting Peel’s most vulnerable: Paramedic Chief’s update

BRAMPTON, Ont. – June 6, 2025. In a presentation to Peel Region’s Health System Integration Committee yesterday, Paramedic Chief Brian Gibson and Peel’s Senior Medical Director Dr. Sudip Saha presented the 2024 achievements of the Peel Regional Paramedic Services Community Paramedicine (CP) Program. The CP Program is a healthcare model where paramedics expand their traditional emergency response roles to provide more comprehensive, preventive and follow-up care within the community.

Adults aged 65 and over are the fastest growing age group in Peel. In 2051, one in five Peel residents will be older adults – an increase from one in seven in 2021. As healthcare systems across Ontario and here at home face growing pressure, many older residents, particularly those with mobility challenges and/or cognitive decline, lack a family doctor or are unable to easily leave their homes for medical appointments. Without regular oversight, medical conditions are going undetected, leading to more 911 calls, and a rapid decline in quality of life.

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To help close this gap in the healthcare system, Peel Region Community Paramedics are bringing care directly to the homes of vulnerable residents. In 2024, the CP Program continued to make measurable strides in improving health outcomes, including:

• Registering 518 residents in the High Intensity Supports @ Home Program, providing crucial in-home care to patients recently discharged from hospital.
• Conducting 748 home visits to residents waiting to enter a long-term care facility.
• Completing 1,760 wellness checks to residents at Peel Living buildings participating in the CP@Clinic Program.
• Partnering with Trillium Health Partners’ Solutions Clinic to bring virtual doctors into residents’ homes. By conducting in-home diagnostics (e.g., ultrasounds, urinalysis, and blood analysis), community paramedics can provide internists with real-time data to guide complex treatment decisions on the spot.
• Partnering with William Osler Health System, allowing community paramedics to identify patients for the CARE program. Once enrolled into the CARE program, patients can receive in-home care from a physician, nurse practitioner or other specialist, as well as remote patient monitoring.
• Connecting patients with Peel Region’s seniors’ programs and services, such as the Seniors Dental Care Program and TransHelp, to ensure a holistic, person-centric approach to care.

“Together with our valued partners, we are successfully reimagining how healthcare is delivered in Peel,” said Paramedic Chief Brian Gibson. “By meeting patients where they are and providing customized care to those who need it most, community paramedics are helping to eliminate barriers to healthcare in Peel.”

The Community Paramedicine Program, fully funded by the Ontario government until March 2026, has already demonstrated a meaningful impact, but there's still more to be done.

“We have many ideas for expanding the program to better support our residents. We look forward to working with the Ontario government to secure stable, long-term funding so we can keep providing the support our patients count on, and extend that help to even more people in need,” added Chief Gibson.

For more information on the Peel Regional Paramedic Services Community Paramedicine Program, read the Health System Integration Committee report Supporting vulnerable residents: an update on Community Paramedicine in Peel.

The Health System Integration Committee includes members of Peel Regional Council and external health partners such as Ontario Health Teams (Mississauga, Central West and Hills of Headwaters), Ontario Health, and the education sector represented by Toronto Metropolitan University. Its role is to advise on health-related issues in Peel and guide efforts to improve the health system. For more information, visit Committees and Advisory Boards - peelregion.ca