 A lot of people out here, they're very reclusive. It tends to be older people or people with chronic illnesses such as hypertension, COPD. A 2023 survey from a national paramedics trade group counted more than 150 of these kinds of community paramedicine programs across the country. It's a growing health care model championed by EMS agencies and hospitals at a time when some advocates say rural health care is facing a crisis.