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Beginning Sept. 17, Clackamas County residents who call 911 may receive expanded medical services through the new Clackamas County Nurse Navigation Program, an innovative healthcare solution provided through a partnership between Clackamas County Public Health Division and American Medical Response (AMR).
The program provides additional medical options by connecting 911 callers with the appropriate level of medical care at the right time and at the right location.
If a condition is determined to not be a medical emergency, callers will be transferred to a “nurse navigator” to determine an appropriate path for treatment and assist in coordinating access to care. This program helps Clackamas County residents receive the appropriate level of care for their needs, which may include a referral to a local clinic or urgent care. There is no cost to the caller to access the nurse navigation services.
“The EMS system in Clackamas County is overburdened,” said Clackamas County Office of Public Health Emergency Services Manager Bill Conway. “Ambulance transport to an emergency department is not the best resource for many non-life-threatening 911 requests for service. The Nurse Navigation Program will provide the appropriate care for these requests, leaving 911 ambulances available to respond to life-threatening emergencies.”
Nurse navigators are Oregon state licensed nurses with professional experience in emergency nursing. They are also specially trained to manage, or triage, medical calls. After initially triaging the call, the nurses can connect callers to local clinics and arrange transportation to and from appointments. Nurse navigators can also connect callers directly to telehealth physicians who can provide care online and prescribe medication if necessary. The nurse navigator service does not require the caller to have medical insurance.
“Clackamas County residents can trust that when they call 911, they will be connected with the care they need,” said Clackamas County Commissioner Ben West. “I am thrilled that we are collaborating with AMR to take better care of our community’s health.”
Residents will see no change when calling 911 for life-threatening emergencies. An ambulance will still be dispatched when calls are received for urgent, life-threatening or potentially life-threatening emergencies.
With the launch of the Clackamas County Nurse Navigation Program, Clackamas County joins 22 other cities and counties around the U.S. in integrating the Nurse Navigation Program into 911 systems, including the nearby Vancouver, Wash., to alleviate strain on emergency medical services and healthcare systems while ensuring that high- and low-acuity calls reach the most appropriate level of care.