Fire department pilot program with nurse practitioner

Excerpts from the OrangeCountyRegister.com: A recent dispatch call was brief: a 20-year-old woman was unwell and needed assistance. Firefighters from Anaheim arrived at the scene, followed by an ambulance driven by Victoria Morrison, a nurse practitioner who assessed the patient’s condition and determined whether she required emergency care or could be treated at home. “A lot of people call 911 out of fear,” Morrison explained as she walked back to the ambulance. “Sometimes they just need a professional to handle something minor. Other times, they truly need to go to the ER.” Morrison is the only nurse practitioner in the Anaheim Fire & Rescue’s Community Care Response Unit, which began on May 31. This unit focuses on addressing low-acuity 911 calls by treating patients at home. Nurse practitioners are also licensed to prescribe medication. The one-year pilot program aims to reduce healthcare costs, prevent unnecessary hospital visits, and allow firefighters to focus on more critical emergencies in Orange County’s largest city. “We’re really good at handling traffic accidents, gunshot wounds, and heart attacks because we have clear protocols for those situations,” said Capt. Dave Barry, the Fire Department’s EMS manager and Morrison’s partner. “But the real challenge comes with low-acuity calls that aren’t emergencies. That’s where Victoria excels.” Since the program started, Morrison has seen 230 patients. Nearly half were treated on-site or advised to see their primary care physician. The initiative cost around $500,000 this year, covering her salary, medical supplies, equipment, and insurance. A public-private partnership includes a $210,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente and a modified ambulance provided by Care Ambulance Service. Anaheim Fire Chief Randy Bruegman plans to ask the city council to continue the program next year. “Residents appreciate this alternative model because it offers quality care, saves money, and allows them to be treated in the comfort of their own home,” he said. Anaheim was the first city in California to adopt this approach, inspired by a similar program started in 2008 by Dr. Gary Smith during a flu outbreak in Mesa, Arizona. Though initially short-lived due to limited funding, the Arizona program was revived in 2011 and now operates 24/7. Five cities across the U.S., including Los Angeles, have since adopted the model. “We’re pushing the boundaries by bringing medical care directly to patients’ homes, and the results have been incredible,” Smith said. In Anaheim, patients who choose Morrison’s care still pay the $350 paramedic fee, but they avoid the high cost of an ambulance ride and emergency room visit, which can reach thousands of dollars. More importantly, they receive immediate attention from a qualified professional instead of waiting hours for a hospital doctor. “Some people think going to the ER via ambulance means faster care, but that’s not always true,” Morrison noted. “I let them know they’ll get the same level of service from me—and it’s quicker.”

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