Paramedic programs and fast response times are saving lives

Newmarket – York Regional Council received results for Paramedic response time performance for 2023, outlining Paramedic Services surpassed response time targets for all areas. Improvements include surpassing the Ministry target time for sudden cardiac arrests, due in part to integrated community strategies involving local municipal fire services and the Automated External Defibrillator Program.

“Supporting community well-being by protecting residents’ health remains a priority for York Regional Council,” said York Region Chairman and CEO Wayne Emmerson. “By continuing to invest and improve Paramedic Services, we help ensure paramedics continue responding to the growing and diverse needs of our communities.”

2023 highlights include:

• Integrating community-based strategies involving local municipal fire services and the Automated External Defibrillator program allows for better response time for sudden cardiac arrest
• Maintaining hospital transfer times below 30-minute targets, enabling paramedics to better respond to call volumes and meet response time goals
• Building and operating one new response station in the City of Markham (180 Cachet Woods)

The ability to meet and exceed these targets is largely driven by the activities and initiatives outlined in the Council-approved Paramedic Services Master Plan, 2021 to 2031. The long-term plan provides data and insight on what is required for continued excellent paramedicine care across York Region’s nine cities and towns.

Initiatives planned for 2024 and beyond include:

• A modernizing dispatch system is expected to be implemented at the Georgian Central Ambulance Communications Centre in November 2024 and will assist Paramedic Services to continue to meet higher priority response time targets
• Building and operating a new station in the City of Vaughan’s Maple community (53 Jacob Keffer Parkway); currently, there are 27 operating stations with additional stations being built for a total of 30 by 2031
• Continuing to deliver innovative community paramedicine programs such as Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care, supporting those on long-term care waitlists, Improving Patient Access to Care in the Community which enables paramedics to perform enhanced diagnostics and provide on-scene treatment and discharge and the CP@Clinic which provides support in seniors’ housing buildings and clients’ homes connecting them to service providers and supporting system navigation

“As York Region’s population continues to grow and age, the demand for paramedic services is also projected to increase to more than 163,600 calls per year by 2031,” said City of Vaughan Regional Councillor Gino Rosati, Chair of Community and Health Services. “Continued efforts on innovation and partnerships will grow York Region Paramedic Services as an integral part of the community and health care systems now and for years to come.”

York Region’s team of skilled paramedics provide emergency and non-emergency medical response to York Region residents 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information on York Region Paramedic Services, visit york.ca/paramedics or follow @YorkParamedics on X (formerly Twitter)

The Regional Municipality of York consists of nine local cities and towns and provides a variety of programs and services to over 1.25 million residents and 57,000 businesses with more than 629,000 employees. More information about York Region’s key service areas is available at york.ca/RegionalServices

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Media Contact:

Tamara Ostrowski, Corporate Communications, The Regional Municipality of York 
Phone: 1-877-464-9675, ext. 71226 Cell: 905-251-6412
@email