The Molina Community Paramedicine Program extends traditional paramedic care by having trained paramedics deliver a range of healthcare and social services to high-risk members in Molina Healthcare plan.

A qualitative evaluation was conducted of the Molina Community Paramedicine Program to understand the experiences of participating members, significant others (SOs), and paramedic providers. Of 105 members who had participated in the Community Paramedicine Program in San Antonio, Texas, from 2022-2024, 21 members were interviewed. Although all participating members were asked to identify SOs to be interviewed, only 4 SOs were able to be interviewed.

A focus group was also conducted with six paramedics serving the Community Paramedicine Program. All interviews and the focus group were audio-recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were qualitatively analyzed with athematic analytic approach, triangulating the qualitative data from the three stakeholder groups: members, SOs, and paramedics.

The qualitative analysis revealed several major themes about the Molina Community Paramedicine Program:

1. Paramedics visiting members regularly in their homes helped facilitate access and coordination to healthcare;
2. Paramedics provided important practical support and health education for members for preventive care;
3. Paramedics were valued and helped fulfill social and emotional needs of members;
4. Members sometimes experienced lapses in communication and scheduling in the program, possibly because paramedics had to manage multiple duties across programs and the program’s lack of reliable vehicles.

In conclusion, the Molina Community Paramedicine Program helped many high-risk members receive essential healthcare and supportive services, although there may be resource constraints to scaling the program.