When an emergency strikes, EMS crews there to help — but a lot of the time, help is needed for more than just a day.

“Mental health, substance abuse, we were seeing them a lot. The system was kind of failing them,” says Sean Dwyer, Manatee County EMS Assistant Chief.

So Manatee EMS reinvented the system.

They created “Community Paramedics" that can now help individuals with medical resources.

Assisting them with making doctors appointments, utilizing a case manager — even, getting patients their prescriptions.

“Sometimes it’s not an acute issue they are having, sometimes they just need to be heard,” says Zach Molnar, District Chief of Community Paramedics.

With only a handful of people on staff, the program cares for over 60 patients — they have even more on a waiting list.

“It’s a lot of work,” says Molnar. “It’s a lot of people to see.”

Proving that sometimes — giving someone a helping hand, is the best medicine.