GREENVILLE, S.C. — As flu cases begin to drive up call volume, Greenville County EMS wants residents to know that a 911 call does not always mean a trip to the ER by ambulance.
The agency is promoting PATHS, short for Prehospital Assisted Treatment and Healthcare Services. Callers whose problem is not an immediate threat to life may be routed to a nurse practitioner or a community paramedic rather than an ambulance crew.
Treatment may happen by phone, by video visit, or in person when a community paramedic stops by the house. County EMS staff said the team can handle wound care and illnesses like colds, flu and COVID-19, which frees ambulances for strokes and cardiac arrests.
The program started on Oct. 13, 2025. A review of its first seven months found 269 patients had a PATHS visit, and two of every three patients seen were treated at home without a hospital trip.
That same review found that 57.8% of otherwise eligible calls came in outside the team’s staffed hours. The county says a grant from donors who asked not to be named pays for PATHS.
Filed under: Greenwood SC Health News
