DeLand, FL - In an effort to save money for both Volusia County and its residents, County EMS is implementing the E-911 Redirect Nurse Triage program. What this means, according to Volusia County EMS Medical Director Dr. Peter Springer, is that 9-1-1 callers have another option to riding in an ambulance in low-emergency cases.
The program begins on Monday, December 9. It's part of the comprehensive service level update approved by the Volusia County Council last February. Springer said it's taken a tremendous effort to pull things together, requiring intense collaboration with the Volusia Sheriff's Office emergency communication staff. A multidisciplinary partnership has been created with area hospitals, urgent care clinics and a number of other community partners.
“This initiative is really a community-wide effort,” said Dr. Peter Springer, the county’s EMS medical director. “Our overarching goal is to better ensure that our county’s ambulances are being utilized for true medical emergencies.”
Springer said an important reason for the program is that it will save money, not only for the county but also for residents. Ambulance rides are pricey and the E-911 Nurse Triage program is run at no cost for residents.
Springer explains that it works like this: a patient calls 9-1-1, the call is screened to determine the emergency. Using the new program, after ruling out emergency priority, non-emergency callers will be routed to an emergency medicine-trained registered nurse. The nurse interviews the caller to determine the problem, appropriate treatment facilities, and transportation options. Springer said if a call is determined as a non-emergency but the caller wants an ambulance or has no other transportation, an ambulance will be sent.
The eight nurses in the program represent all of our hospital systems. According to Springer, they are highly trained experts in emergency management. He says they know the community and the resources available and are very familiar with some of the hurdles that patients come up against.
