Meeting Patients Where They Are: EMS-Based Navigators Go the Extra Mile

When someone experiences an overdose, EMS is often the first to respond — but what happens after the scene clears? EMS-based navigators are changing that equation by following up with patients wherever they are, including those who never make it to the hospital. Programs in Contra Costa County and Redlands have embedded navigators directly within EMS systems so that every field encounter has a clear pathway to continued care.