HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Hillsborough County Fire and Rescue (HCFR) is partnering with a telehealth company to offer a virtual care option for certain non-life-threatening 911 calls.
As the county continues to grow, so does the demand for emergency services. That is why HCFR is rolling out this new initiative aimed at improving response times and ensuring ambulances are available for the most critical situations.
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“It keeps our ambulances in the station ready for the next call that might be more critical,” said Rob Herrin with HCFR.
The department is partnering with MD Ally to offer this virtual care.
“We’re obviously really excited about the partnership with Hillsborough and their team,” said Shanel Fields, the CEO of MD Ally.
Fire officials said around 90% of all 911 calls in the county are medical-related. However, not every call requires an ambulance transport to the emergency room.
Traditionally, an ambulance has been the default response to medical 911 calls. Under the new system, that remains the case. Dispatchers will continue to ask the standard emergency questions. If a situation is determined to be non-emergent, callers will now have a new choice to connect with a healthcare provider virtually instead of having an ambulance sent to their location.
“The new thing is that it’s adding an additional menu option,” said Fields.
Fields said with this option, patients will be able to speak with a doctor much faster than if they waited for an ambulance, transport, and emergency room evaluation.
Instead of waiting in the emergency room, patients can receive medical guidance in minutes from wherever they are.
The program comes at no cost to the county or taxpayers.
Telehealth visits are billed through a patient's insurance and are typically far less expensive than an ambulance ride and an E.R. visit.
Fire Rescue officials predict this new program could reduce thousands of ambulance dispatches every year. The virtual 911 program is scheduled to launch in March.
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