Program to pare down ambulance workloads countywide starts Wednesday
City News Service
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Beginning Wednesday, Riverside County residents who call 911 with medical needs that may not warrant a trip to the hospital will be directed to healthcare professionals available 24 hours a day for phone consultations intended to reduce the burden on ambulance services countywide.
The “911 Nurse Navigation” program is slated to go live, with round-the-clock availability, under the supervision of the county’s Emergency Management Department.
“As the county’s Emergency Medical Services Agency, we continually strive toward improving access to care and ensuring a robust EMS system,” agency spokesman Dan Bates said. “Launching the 911 Nurse Navigation service ensures our residents receive the most appropriate level of service, while helping offset some of the emergency response call volume that may not be life-threatening.”
The Board of Supervisors in January 2022 established a committee to examine options for reducing the strain on ambulance services, mostly in reaction to worsening “patient offload” times at then overwhelmed medical center emergency rooms. The following year, the county entered into a contract with Pasadena-based Tele911 Inc. to develop protocols for managing sub-acute patients who may not merit emergency medical treatment, but rather benefit from virtual consultations or other alternate treatment regimens.
The 911 Nurse Navigation program is the latest option, resulting from a partnership between the county and Global Medical Response, owner of American Medical Response, or AMR, which dispatches ambulances under a county contract.
“EMS dispatch agencies who utilize 911 Nurse Navigation will … (guide) callers to the appropriate level of care (so) we can minimize unnecessary ER visits, shorten wait times and offer better healthcare optionsfor low-acuity 911 calls,” Bates said. “This initiative will enhance the efficiency of our emergency services and ensure that residents obtain timely and appropriate medical attention.”
Similar programs are active in more than 30 communities across 14 states, according to the EMD.
The system relies on a screening process utilized by trained Riverside County Fire Department 911 dispatchers, who determine when callers may be routed to “nurse navigators (following) physician protocols to ensure callers receive direction to the most appropriate level of care,” the EMD stated.
“The screening system directs callers to the right care at the right time … enhancing outcomes while optimizing costs,” the agency said. “Depending on the caller’s unique needs, a nurse navigator may schedule an appointment at an appropriate health center, or facilitate a real-time virtual consult with a physician.”
The main goal is to free up fire paramedics and ambulance crews, preserving them for “high-priority emergencies,” instead of tying them up with “calls that don’t need an emergency medical services response,” the EMD said.
Estimates showed communities relying on 911 Nurse Navigation last year collectively saved $21 million by reducing deployments of emergency medical resources.
No draw on General Fund dollars was identified under the new program, about which more information is available at https://rivcoready.org/911Nurse.