Program to provide the right care at the right time and at the right place

VANCOUVER – Beginning May 16, Clark County residents dialing 9-1-1 may make a new connection with the Clark County Emergency Medical Services’ new Nurse Navigation Program. The innovative healthcare solution is provided through a partnership between the Vancouver Fire Department (VFD), Clark County emergency medical services and American Medical Response (AMR). The Clark County 911 Nurse Navigation Program provides options for quickly reaching the appropriate level of medical care when calling 9-1-1.  

Community members will see no change in the 9-1-1 system for life-threatening emergencies. Calls made to 9-1-1 for urgent, life-threatening or potentially life-threatening emergencies will result in the dispatching of an ambulance to assess symptoms and provide transport to a local hospital. If a condition is determined not to be an urgent medical emergency, callers will be transferred to a Nurse Navigator to determine an appropriate path for treatment together and assist in coordinating care. This program will help Clark County community members access the right level of care for their needs and there is no cost to the caller for the service.   

While 9-1-1 should only be used for urgent, life-threatening or potentially life-threatening emergencies, approximately 14,000 of Clark County’s 58,000 medical-related 9-1-1 calls each year are considered non-emergent. Community members should continue to call their primary care provider for non-emergency medical advice, appointments and prescription refills.  

“We are excited to launch this pilot program in Clark County and evaluate its effectiveness in reducing the stress on our healthcare system,” said Brennan Blue, fire chief for the Vancouver Fire Department. “Data and analytics show us that not every call to 911 requires an emergency response. Reducing the reliance on our emergency responders for non-emergent requests allows them to be available for the true life-threatening emergencies. The Nurse Navigation Program will help stabilize our EMS system.”  

Clark County 911 Nurse Navigators are Washington state licensed nurses with professional experience in emergency nursing. They are also specially trained in the practice of telephone triage. After triaging callers, the nurses can connect them to clinics in Clark County, arrange transportation to and from appointments and notify a clinic when a patient is arriving. Nurse Navigators can also connect callers directly to telehealth physicians who can provide care and prescribe medication if necessary. The service does not require the caller to have medical insurance to access this service.   

“With the launch of the Clark County 911 Nurse Navigation Program, we are enhancing emergency medical care for the residents of Clark County by ensuring that every patient receives the right level of care at the right time and in the right location,” said Rocco Roncarati, regional director for AMR. “The program also positively contributes to the overall efficiency and effectiveness of our local emergency medical services system.”  

Clark County joins ten other states and the District of Columbia in integrating the Nurse Navigation program into 9-1-1 systems to alleviate strain on EMS and healthcare systems while ensuring that all calls reach the most appropriate level of care.  

For additional information on the Clark County 911 Nurse Navigator program, visit: www.cityofvancouver.us/nursenavigation or call (360) 750-4679 ext. 64601.

About the Vancouver Fire Department  

Fire and emergency medical response are core services provided by the City of Vancouver, along with police, streets, utilities, parks and recreation and community and economic development. The Vancouver Fire Department has provided emergency response services to the Vancouver and greater Clark County communities for 155 years. Today, VFD is one of the fastest-growing departments in the Pacific Northwest, serving a population of almost 250,000 from eleven stations covering 90 square miles. A total of 13 frontline fire crews run over 47,000 calls per year. VFD does more than fight fires: its state-of-the-art Emergency Medical Service (EMS) program also provides paramedic first response. Follow Vancouver Fire on Facebook or Instagram @VancouverFireUSA.  

About American Medical Response (AMR)     

American Medical Response, Inc., America’s leading provider of medical transportation, provides services in 40 states and the District of Columbia. More than 28,000 AMR paramedics, EMTs, RNs and other professionals work together to transport more than 4.8 million patients nationwide each year in critical, emergency and non-emergency situations. AMR also provides fire services through Rural Metro Fire Department, www.ruralmetrofire.com. For more information about AMR, visit www.amr.net and follow American Medical Response on Facebook @AMR_Social on Twitter and Instagram.   

AMR is part of the Global Medical Response family. Global Medical Response, Inc. is the industry-leading air, ground, specialty and residential fire services, and managed medical transportation organization. With more than 39,000 team members, GMR delivers compassionate, quality medical care, primarily in the areas of emergency and patient relocation services in the United States and around the world. For more information, visit www.globalmedicalresponse.com.   

Information provided by city of Vancouver.