East Kingston, N.H.-based Exeter Hospital will shutter its advanced life support paramedic intercept program Sept. 20 due to financial challenges and changing care demands, The Portsmouth Herald reported Sept. 10.
Exeter Hospital, part of Beth Israel Lahey Health in Cambridge, Mass., has offered the specialized service for more than three decades. Through the program, specially trained hospital paramedics help respond to community-based medical emergencies in collaboration with local emergency medical services. The paramedics do not transport patients to hospitals but rather offer advanced life support on the scene that may not otherwise be made available by local EMS services.
The hospital cited "dramatically rising costs, changing patient care trends and a challenging reimbursement environment," as primary drivers behind the decision to discontinue the service.
"While we have made progress in continuing to rebuild our financial health in the post-pandemic environment, we are evaluating all aspects of our operations, including aligning our staff with patient care priorities and focusing our resources on health care programs and services that Exeter Hospital is uniquely qualified to provide," a hospital spokesperson told The Portsmouth Herald. "As part of this effort, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue the paramedic intercept program. These steps will help ensure we have a strong financial foundation, and that Exeter is well-positioned to continue to deliver on our health care mission."
The program's closure has raised concerns among some EMS leaders who rely heavily on the specialized service. They are now exploring alternative care options, including the potential development of their own paramedic programs.