From an early age, Joshua Patrick wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. He steered his ambitions towards healthcare, and after completing an EMT course, discovered his affinity for emergency medical services. His dream of becoming a trauma surgeon evolved, and he found his calling in New Hampshire with community paramedicine. His journey from an Army brat to Ph.D. candidate at Northern Illinois University highlights his strength and dedication to helping others. Along this path, he graduated from NHTI – Concord’s Community College in 2009 with a degree in paramedic emergency medicine.
When COVID-19 ground our country to a halt, Josh was serving as the deputy chief in the Peterborough Fire Department’s ambulance division. Just as the pandemic prompted professionals to reimagine patient care, Josh developed a mobile integrated healthcare program that capitalized on the opportunity to expand his mobile integrated healthcare program. He joined forces with the Monadnock Community Hospital, realizing his vision of providing preventive care to reduce the burden on emergency services. The essence of his role as a community paramedic is to preempt crises by addressing patients’ needs before they escalate. His initiative transformed his department’s approach to patient care by focusing on proactive measures and community outreach.
“Agencies struggle all the time to fill ambulance shifts and get people to work,” Josh says of his innovative approach. “We’re taking that burden off the whole emergency system, from the ambulance crew responders to the hospital’s emergency department.”
His evolution from a young dreamer with aspirations of becoming a trauma surgeon to a trailblazing community paramedic is a testament to the transformative potential of combining passion with innovation. And, Josh’s dedication has not gone unnoticed. His mobile integrated healthcare program has achieved remarkable milestones.
“Our program at Monadnock is pretty unique,” he says. “As of last year’s statistics, we were the busiest in the state, so we saw more patients than any other program. And we’re a 100% board-certified community paramedics.”
Through his work, he not only relieves the strain on emergency systems, but represents the essence of patient care. As Josh continues his journey as a Ph.D. candidate and a driving force behind the evolution of community paramedicine, we can only imagine the remarkable waves of change he will continue to create for the future of patient care. Watch this space.
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NHTI – Concord’s Community College
NHTI is a dynamic public institution of higher learning that provides accessible, rigorous education for students, businesses, and the community. We create pathways for lifelong learning, career advancement, and civic engagement, offering 80+ academic programs to 4,600+ students annually. NHTI is a member of the Community College System of New Hampshire and since 1969 has been accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, a nongovernmental, nationally recognized accrediting agency.
Press Contact Amber Gavriluk | 603-230-4001 | [email protected]
