REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Dallas Fire-Rescue finds innovative ways to improve
community health
Several years ago, Dallas Fire-Rescue noted
that a steady increase in 9-1-1 call volume
was outpacing the growth of resources. A
close look at the data showed a subset of callers using
the service frequently for non-emergency situations.
Inspired by the MedStar collaborative in Tarrant County
and other programs throughout the country, DFR
embarked on creating a program aimed at reducing
9-1-1 calls from high-frequency patients by helping
them improve their overall quality of life.
Dallas Fire-Rescue understood that high-frequency
patients often suffer from social issues, unmet mental
health needs and symptoms from chronic medical
conditions. In partnership with community agencies and
healthcare providers, DFR created a program to teach
greater independence through resource management
and problem-solving skills. Five skilled firefighter
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paramedics were selected and trained, and by 2014,
the City of Dallas launched Phase One of the Mobile
Community Healthcare Program.
Today, seven Community Paramedics and one supervisor
work exclusively in this free, opt-in program. CPs visit
with high-frequency patients in their homes several
times over a 90-day period. They conduct home safety
assessments and work with participants to design a
care plan for their specific needs. Those participants
who complete the Mobile Community Healthcare
Program curriculum in 90 days receive a “certificate of
independence.” For on-going support, participants and
graduates can call a direct line, rather than 9-1-1, to
speak to a Community Paramedic. All told, the number
of calls made to 9-1-1 by Mobile Community Healthcare
Program graduates has decreased by 80 percent.
Now in Phase Two, the program is expanding through
several unique partnerships. UT Southwestern, Texas
Health Presbyterian Hospital, and others are helping
DFR identify high-frequency emergency room patients
so that they may also be served by the Mobile
Community Healthcare Program. Launched earlier this
year, the new Right Care program employs a unique
team approach in response to patients experiencing
mental health emergencies.
The Right Care program, one of only two like it in
the country, brings together the expertise of mental
health, EMS and public safety professionals. A mental
health expert works alongside 9-1-1 dispatchers to
assess individual calls. In situations when a caller is
experiencing mental health issues but is not in imminent
danger, rather than dispatching several police officers,
9-1-1 sends a specially-trained team including a
Parkland social worker, a Dallas Police officer and
a paramedic. Not only is the response team very
effective in serving the patient’s needs in a safe and
holistic way, but the approach frees up ambulance,
police and fire department personnel often needed
elsewhere in the city.
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