Paramedics rush to our aid in a lot of different emergency situations, but now some will be coming to see us when it's not an emergency.  

It's a regular 'check-in' day for Ssabbir Husein. Diagnosed with diabetes, the senior had struggled to keep his sugar levels stable.

That was, until he had regular visits from two paramedics.

“When Kyle and Steve from the paramedics came in, they made a lot of changes and suddenly it dropped down to the level what was required by the medical association,” he says.

Husein is a patient with the Community Paramedicine Program.

It’s a pilot project in York Region where paramedics visit people at home who need health care.

In most cases, the visit consists of a check-up and a discussion about the patient's health. But through this program, paramedics are also available if there's an emergency.

“We've had patients that have called us outside of their regular schedule to come visit them because something is not right,” says Steve Lucas, York Region Paramedic. “One of them was taken to hospital.”

Throughout York Region, paramedics visit about 120 patients and those are people who have been recommended by their physicians to have a visit at home.

It's a system that's mostly in place in Markham right now, but it could expand.

The province has just announced $6 million for paramedicine in Ontario, and that cash will help support existing paramedicine programs.

“The region right now we're funding this program as a trail, and then with the ministry funding, we may be able to back that up and try and expand the program,” says Chris Spearen, superintendent with York Region Paramedics.

At this time it's not clear how the money will be divvied up. And the County of Simcoe is waiting to hear if there will be cash available.

“Our next steps are to provide county council with information about the community paramedicine, about the details from the province in terms of potential funding opportunities and next steps in the process,” says Jane Sinclair, general manager of Health and Emergency Services at the county.

It will be up to county councils whether to try the paramedicine program. York Region is one of 13 communities already using the system.