CARMEL- More than 30 percent of all 9-1-1 patients could be better managed without transport to an emergency room.
Putnam County officials realize that patients must receive the right treatment at the right place at the right time and have initiated mobile integrated healthcare or community para-medicine in partnership with the county’s paramedic service—Empress Emergency Medical Services.
County Executive Kevin Byrne told a news conference at the Bureau of Emergency Services headquarters in Carmel Tuesday that Putnam is the first county in New York State to expand the role of paramedics beyond traditional emergency response to provide “proactive, community based healthcare services for non-emergency conditions.”
Community paramedics provide highly trained patient assessment and treatment in response to emergencies by improving patient engagement so they can receive the most appropriate level of care.
Byrne said community paramedics will continue to respond to emergency situations: “The new program supports vulnerable populations including senior citizens frequent 911 callers and patients recently discharged from hospitals as well as others with unmet healthcare needs or challenges.”
The new system operates in close partnerships with hospitals, primary care providers, tele-health, mental health services, social services, offices for the aging and other social and clinical supports.
Putnam’s Director of Emergency Medicine Robert Cuomo explained by addressing health and social needs early, the new system improves patient outcomes, safety and quality of life while “reducing risk and the growing burden on the 9-1-1 system and emergency departments.”
Cuomo described the new network as “very exciting. Mobile Integrated Healthcare serves as a trusted link between patients and the healthcare system by delivering care where the patient resides.”
Dr. Mark Hirko, President of Putnam Hospital Center, also lauded the system since “it will allow many residents to remain in the confines of their homes with their families minimizing the need for ER visits. Yes, we are here to care for people but the new system will actually improve healthcare for the entire county.”
Robert Stuck, Executive Director of Empress, explained the network demonstrates “how paramedics’ services are evolving to meet the changing needs of communities countywide in addition to the 9-1-1 system.”
Stuck said when a volunteer responds to a call and “sees something that should be a referral—be it a chronic condition or a person who repeatedly calls 9-1-1 by not meeting the 9-1-1 criteria, appointments will be made and a full assessment of the patient will be undertaken from living conditions to health conditions. We will work with them to solve the problem outside of the 9-1-1 system.”
Stuck said the network has already been beneficial. He cited a case where ambulances were being sent to a residence four to five times each week while in the last month during the infancy stage of the program, an ambulance was summoned only once.
“This is a big help to our ambulance and fire crews who will be available for a more critical emergency as well as lessening overcrowding at hospital emergency departments,” said Stuck.
Comments