The city hopes the Community Paramedics Project will bridge the gap between patients and the appropriate healthcare resources they need rather than calling 911 and going to the ER for non-emergency issues.
This newly painted ambulance may look the same as an emergency ambulance but its duties will be different.
"The goal of the community paramedic is to meet the patient outside the 911 system by appointment and then not transport them to the hospital to address their medical needs and take care of them without a transport to the ER," says Dr. James Ireland, Emergency Services director.
The city says the project was prompted after emergency room overcrowding was caused after two hospitals closed last year.
Paramedics have already identified fifty people who are chronic 911 callers.
Beginning next month, paramedics will visit these patients in an attempt to address their non-emergency needs.
"Once the pilot is in full operation what we’re looking at is a community paramedic five days a week during the day and they’ll try to visit with each of the top fifty at least once a week if not once every two weeks," says Dr. Ireland.
The areas they will focus on first include, Ala Moana, Downtown and Kakaako.
The city has partnered with several hospitals, social service agencies and health centers to get patients in touch with resources that could better serve their needs.
–72% of the most frequent callers have chronic medical issues
–36% are homeless
–36% have mental illness
and 22% have alcoholism or drug addiction
"Our analysis has shown that these fifty individuals have generated about $5-$7 million dollars in one year in healthcare cost between EMS emergency room and hospital," says Dr. Ireland.
The project is expected to cost $150,000 annually.
For the first 9 months of the year, EMS dispatch has received 1,200 calls for non-emergency issues.
Dr. Ireland hopes as the project progresses they’ll see a fifty percent reduction in 911 calls for non-emergency issues.
Once people on the list are no longer calling 911 often, other chronic callers will be helped.
"You can’t get to everybody and people are still going to call 911 hopefully we’ll be able to get through the majority of them," says Chris Luan, paramedic/dispatcher.
The city says the chronic callers will be given a hotline they can call instead of 911 to help address their needs.
If the project is successful, the city plans to add more community ambulances to be part of the program.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
