Excerpts from OrangeCountyRegister.com:

A call came in that wasn’t very clear: a 20-year-old woman was feeling unwell and needed assistance.

Firefighters from Anaheim arrived at the scene, followed by an ambulance driven by Victoria Morrison, a nurse practitioner. She assessed the patient’s condition, checked her vital signs, and determined whether she needed to go to the emergency room or if she could be treated at home.

“A lot of people call 911 out of fear,” Morrison said as she walked back to the ambulance. “Sometimes it's just a small issue that a medical professional can handle. Other times, they really do need to go to the ER.”

Morrison is the only nurse practitioner working with the Anaheim Fire & Rescue’s Community Care Response Unit, which began on May 31. The unit handles low-acuity 911 calls and provides care in patients’ homes. Nurse practitioners are also authorized to prescribe medications.

The one-year pilot program aims to reduce healthcare costs, prevent unnecessary hospital visits, and allow firefighters to focus on more critical emergencies in Orange County’s largest city.

“We’re good at handling traffic accidents, gunshot wounds, and heart attacks because we have established protocols for those calls,” said Capt. Dave Barry, the Fire Department’s EMS manager and Morrison’s partner during ride-alongs.

“The tricky part is the low-acuity calls—ones that aren’t emergencies but still require attention. Victoria has done a great job treating these patients and keeping them out of the hospital,” Barry added.

Since the program started, Morrison has visited 230 patients. About 46% were treated on-site or referred to their primary care physician for further treatment.

The program cost around $500,000 this year, covering Morrison’s salary, medical supplies, equipment, and insurance. It’s supported by a public-private partnership, including a $210,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente and a modified ambulance from Care Ambulance Service.

Anaheim Fire Chief Randy Bruegman is planning to ask the city council to extend the program next year.

“Residents appreciate this alternative model because they get quality care, it’s more affordable, and they’re treated in the comfort of their own home,” Bruegman said.

Anaheim was the first city in California to implement this program, which was modeled after one started in 2008 by Dr. Gary Smith to manage a flu outbreak in Mesa, Arizona. Initially funded with little money, the Arizona program lasted three months but was revived in 2011 with support from the city and a local hospital. It now operates 24/7.

Five cities across the U.S. have since adopted similar models, including Los Angeles.

“We’re pushing the boundaries by bringing medical care directly into people’s homes, and the results have been incredible,” Smith said.

In Anaheim, patients who choose to be treated by Morrison still pay the standard $350 paramedic response fee, but they avoid the high cost of an ambulance ride and an ER visit, which can easily run into thousands of dollars. More importantly, they receive immediate care from a qualified professional instead of waiting hours for a hospital doctor.

“Some people think going to the ER faster means better care, but that’s not always true,” Morrison explained. “I let them know they’ll get the same level of service from me—and it’s faster.”

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