Hoping to ease crowded emergency rooms and trim ambulance runs, Louisville Metro Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has launched a program that aims to screen low-priority calls and divert patients from hospitals into more appropriate health care. Under the program, which started April 19, a small number of the lowest priority calls — such as those for an earache or a stomachache — are being turned over to a nurse who is able to spend time with the patient on the phone to figure out appropriate treatment, which may not include a trip to an emergency room in an ambulance.
Most patients calling 911 won’t notice much of a difference, because all calls will continue to be screened through the automated protocol system already in place, says Kristen Miller, chief of staff for Louisville Metro EMS. On average, the Louisville system handles about 230 to 250 calls a day, she says.
But for an estimated 10 to 15 calls a day — the ones classified as the lowest risk — callers are getting some additional screening from a registered nurse or nurse practitioner. That way, the nurse can better assess whether the patient’s condition is serious or does not require emergency care.
