INDIANAPOLIS — For Indianapolis residents calling 911, there is now a new option to receive help.
The goal is to be more efficient for patients and provide some relief to 911 operators.
It's a partnership between Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services and Crosswalk to Care.
"We've been teaching people for the last 30+ years to call 911 for help, and that doesn't change. You call for help, it just may change what help looks like," said IEMS Chief Dan O'Donnell.
Dispatchers will still ask about your emergency. If it's not life-threatening or other serious injury like a gunshot wound, heart attack, or car accident, you may be placed on the phone with a nurse if you choose to be.
The nurse then helps to find the appropriate care. It could be a doctor's office, urgent care, or pharmacy. If necessary, they can even provide an Uber or Lyft ride at no cost to the patient.
"That's for those not immediately dying if we don't get to them within five minutes. They do need help, but this isn't one of those, we're gonna take you to the hospital with lights and siren situations," said IEMS District Lt. Michael Farley.
IEMS said non-emergent transports go to over-burdened emergency departments, which means longer wait times. They hope this plan changes that.
"We've had individuals who've run out of critical medications, whether it be high blood pressure medicine, seizure medications, something like that and they may not have transportation. They may have difficulty navigating the system, so they're gonna turn a 911, as they should. And historically, what that would lead to is an emergency, an ambulance would take you to the emergency department, and you know we would do the best we can, but is that right for that individual patient? What we found with Crosswalk is they would be sent over the nurse navigator, who would be able to spend some more time with the patient," said Chief O'Donnell.
"We respond to easily upwards of 350 calls a day, often over 400 with only circa 40 ambulances in service throughout the city sometimes. Something like this, even if they can only take one run, I'll be happy," said Lt. Farley.
Lt. Farley said this will not only help reach patients who rely on emergency services for access to health care, but will also help boost the morale of first responders.
"The vast majority of our medics and EMTs come in at seven in the morning, and they do not stop running until they leave. If they're lucky, it's 7 p.m., and oftentimes, it's even later than that if they get a late call," said Lt. Farley. "Any help we can get to give us just one moment to breathe or even get a sandwich for lunch goes an absolutely massive way."
A caller can reject speaking with a nurse, and dispatch will send out normal fire, police or ambulance services. IEMS hopes the community will be open to the new service.
