MEDSTAR MOBILE HEALTHCARE 10
MedStar Mobile
HEALTHCARE MEDSTAR’S COVID-19
by the EMS System’s Medical Director
not only helped ensure personnel
RESPONSE
and member cities, 9-1-1 call takers
safety, but also helped preserve
started enhanced call screening of all
PPE during the PPE shortage.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world, perhaps for years to come. Locally, the pandemic’s impact has been profound, on both area residents and front line healthcare workers, including MedStar. MedStar is the governmental emergency medical services provider created and owned by the City of Lake Worth and 14 other member cities. You surely see their ambulances on standby in Lake Worth, pre-positioned awaiting an emergency response, or even noticed their Community Paramedics out in our community helping residents with complex medical issues effectively manage their healthcare needs to potentially prevent an emergency medical need. Here are some of the ways MedStar operations changed during the pandemic.
911 medical calls starting March 21st. This screening identifies patients who may have illnesses consistent with COVID-19 to alert first responders prior to their arrival at the scene. This facilitates a special on-scene process to minimize exposure risk to responders. While it adds an average
TAKING PROCESSES Keeping first responders safe is a
PATIENT TRANSPORT In preparation for a predicted surge of hospitalizations for patients suffering from COVID-19, the EMS system Medical Director implemented a special protocol for patients with
of 1 minute, 49 seconds to the call
low-acuity medical complaints
taking process, the member city first
consistent with the coronavirus. After
responders felt this was an important
assessment, patients are informed
safety mechanism for responders. An
that they will not be transported
average of 55 calls per day receive
by ambulance to an emergency
this enhanced call taking process.
department (E.D.) but rather provided
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
with verbal and written instructions on how to access healthcare resources other than an E.D. for their medical needs and ways to stay safe
was in very short supply at the start of
at home. This protocol significantly
the pandemic, and to a large extent,
reduces ambulance transports and
those shortages have yet to be fully alleviated. To preserve PPE and provide effective patient care, MedStar and
ENHANCED CALL-
PATIENT NAVIGATION VS.
member city first response leaders, including Chief Mike Christenson from Lake Worth, developed special
preserved hospital capacity for higher acuity patients. Between March and August 2020, this protocol was utilized on 533 patients. COVID-19 TESTING
primary role for MedStar’s medical
on-scene protocols and procedures
9-1-1 call center personnel. Using an
to minimize the number of personnel
Public Health (TCPH), MedStar
internationally developed “Emerging
actually engaged in patient care
conducts drive-thru COVID-19
Infectious Disease Surveillance”
for patients identified as at high-
testing at their headquarters in west
protocol, which was locally approved
risk for a COVID-19 infection. This
Fort Worth for people referred by
LAKE WORTH DIRECTORY
|
2020
In partnership with Tarrant County
