Aurora 911 callers connected with nurses for care
A new emergency service in Aurora will help ensure 911 callers get the appropriate level of care. The Aurora911 Nurse Navigation program routes callers with non-emergency health concerns to licensed nurses for assessment. A nurse then refers callers to medical care after assessing their symptoms.
"Traditionally, a 911 call would result in an ambulance, a fire truck and a patrol car. That was leading to a lot of congestion in the health care system, specifically emergency rooms," explained Aurora911 Director Tina Buneta. "This program allows us to help people connect with healthcare in a new way."
Aurora911 fields roughly 300,000 calls annually. Of those 300,000 calls, 50,000 are medical calls. About 25% of the medical calls are considered low acuity, meaning they don't require an ambulance or urgent response.
To access Nurse Navigation, callers should still dial 911. The dispatcher will be able to transfer non-emergent callers to a 24/7 service staffed with Colorado-licensed nurses.
"911 is able to assess the call, make sure that the call qualifies for Nurse Navigation, and then we do a transfer to the nurse who takes over," explained Buneta.
Nurse Navigation suggestions may include a telehealth visit with a physician, home health recommendations, or transport without an ambulance to and from a local healthcare provider.
Aurora911 says this individualized care saves time and money for patients.
"Hospital visits and ambulance rides can be costly, especially for people who cannot afford it and never needed it in the first place," said Buneta. "It also frees first responders to better address high-priority calls and supports our mission to get the right resources to the right place at the right time, for everyone, every time."
Grant funding allows Aurora911 Nurse Navigation to offer services like sending an Uber instead of an ambulance for non-emergency issues, all at no cost to the caller.
The Aurora911 Nurse Navigation program launched in October. In the first weeks of service, 203 cases have been referred. About 19 percent of those cases resulted in a telehealth visit, and 81 percent resulted in a referral to a clinic or urgent care.
Non-English speakers can utilize Nurse Navigation resources as Aurora911 has translation services.
The Aurora911 Nurse Navigation is funded through the state's Nurses in 911 Pilot Grant Program. There is no additional cost for the city or community members.
More information about the Aurora911 Nurse Navigation program is available at AuroraGov.org/NurseNavigation.
