EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES +

Opioid Epidemic

With so much attention on the global pandemic it’s easy to forget that we are also dealing with a concurrent opioid epidemic. More than 40 states have reported an increase in overdose deaths, mostly driven by illicitly manufactured fentanyl, along with ongoing concerns related to mental illness and substance use disorder.

Locally, after 2 consecutive years of decline, we saw an increase in the number of times our paramedics administered the drug naloxone.

To help address this issue the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration have provided increased flexibility for providing buprenorphine and methadone to patients with opioid use disorder following a telephone evaluation.

There is no magic bullet but Fire Rescue will continue to work with community partners and, when possible, connect patients with available health resources.

Interfacility Transports

After identifying a 5-fold increase in the number of interfacility transports (hospital to hospital) from 2015 to 2019 the Leadership Team at Fire Rescue reached out to Hilton Head Hospital to express our concerns related to the high acuity level of some of these patients, the amount of time our front line ambulances are spending off the island, and the fact that these transports often have the effect of shutting down an engine company for several hours.

Hilton Head Hospital has been receptive to these concerns and we are formalizing a memorandum of understanding between the two organizations to help clarify expectations related to the use of private ambulance companies when appropriate and minimize patient safety events by ensuring the appropriate level of critical care for select patients when indicated.