Denver7 looked into how Aurora Clinical Navigation connects low-acuity 911 callers with virtual physicians, saving patients roughly 1,400 emergency room hours in its first three months.
AURORA, Colo. — It’s a lifeline for people in Aurora — from car crashes to medical emergencies, Aurora 911 handles it all.
“Day-to-day, it’s a big group effort,” said Joey Samuels, an Aurora 911 dispatcher and trainer. Back in January, Denver7 told you about a new service launched by Aurora Fire Rescue aimed at reducing strain on the emergency response system by connecting non-emergency medical callers with virtual physicians.
Watch Denver7 Adria Iraheta's report in the video below: 90 days in, Aurora's plan to route non-emergency medical calls to virtual doctors has saved patients The program, called Aurora Clinical Navigation, routes lower-priority medical calls away from ambulances and emergency rooms. Ninety days in, Aurora's new Clinical Navigation service is proving its worth — and the data backs it up.
In its first three months, the service has handled more than 700 calls — about 8 per day — with nearly half of those referred to virtual doctors. Those virtual physicians can prescribe medication and arrange rideshare transportation to urgent care, saving patients an estimated 1,400 emergency room hours. Dr. Eric Hill, medical director for both Aurora Fire Rescue and Aurora 911, said the program addresses a long-standing challenge in emergency services.
"Those limited calls take up resources in the system," Hill said. Hill said the cost difference for patients is significant.
"Yes, there's a charge for a doctor to see you or telemedicine, but it's a fraction of the charge as to what's being billed by if you were to get the care of transportation from an ambulance to a hospital," Hill said. Aurora Aurora will refer non-emergency medical 911 calls to virtual physicians Jessica Porter Some patients have even called the service back directly for follow-up care.
The program also frees up first responders at stations like Aurora Fire Station 5 to focus on higher-priority emergencies.
"We're trying to make sure that we have our highest security resources available for the highest security calls at all times," Hill said. Inside Aurora 911, dispatchers say the program is already making a difference in how quickly they can respond to callers.
"To be able to just answer the phone quicker, it helps with our caller interactions," Samuels said. But for Samuels and the team at Aurora 911, the work is about more than call volume.
"Hopefully this can help people just know that we're always here as a resource," Samuels said. "We can leave at the end of the day knowing that, you know, we change the world, just maybe one call at a time, or one dispatch at a time. ” This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Adria Iraheta Denver7’s Adria Iraheta shares stories that have an impact in all of Colorado’s communities, but specializes in reporting on education and stories in Arapahoe County. If you’d like to get in touch with Adria, fill out the form below to send her an email.
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