DC 911 Changes: No Guaranteed Ride to Hospital

WASHINGTON (WUSA9) — The DC Fire and EMS Department is changing the way it responds to 911 medical calls.                                    Instead of an ambulance showing up to haul you to a hospital, the emergency operators and first responders are going to asses needs and connect patients to the necessary care. The goal is to improve health outcomes, shorten wait times in hospitals, and make sure first responders are available for serious and life-threatening emergencies. JEMS: HHS Announces Groundbreaking EMS Payment Reform: ET3 Model Medicare Ambulance Rides May No Longer End Up at ER WUSA9 rode along with Captain Sharon Moulton, who is a supervisor with DCFEMS, during a serious call at an apartment complex in Southeast.   “CPR is in progress,” a call came out over the radio. A man was having a heart attack. “I’m going to go in,” Captain Moulton jumped into action. We could hear the team of first responders at work. “They’re coming. Yup." “You have an Epi in already, right?” “Checking for a pulse.” The patient’s heart stopped before paramedics arrived, but first responders were able to get his heart beating again. He was rushed to the hospital and survived.
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: News Administration and Leadership Mobile Integrated Healthcare Source Type: news