Detroit to prioritize EMS calls

Overhaul will let dispatchers screen out 'frivolous' requests

George Hunter / The Detroit News

Detroit — The city has overhauled its troubled EMS system with sweeping changes that gives dispatchers the discretion over what type of unit to send to emergencies, and is working on a plan that would allow 911 operators to refuse ambulance service to callers deemed frivolous.

Other changes under way include purchasing new ambulances, scheduling extra training to fill vacancies faster, revamping personnel policies and improving the city's bill collection practices. Currently, the city only collects a fraction of the money it's owed from residents, Medicaid and Medicare recipients and insurance companies for services rendered.

The first phase of the restructuring began in December, when EMS dispatchers underwent training in the new system.

In January, the city replaced eight of its older advanced life support ambulances with new, lesser-equipped basic life support units.

Deputy Mayor Saul Green said the changes soon will allow the city's EMS system to improve its average response time by 15 percent to about 10 minutes, with an ultimate goal of meeting or exceeding the national average of eight minutes. According to a 2004 audit, Detroit's response time was more than 12 minutes, which the city said is still the case.

The union that represents emergency dispatchers has filed a grievance challenging the changes.

Detroit's EMS system has come under fire for slow response times, broken equipment, and in some cases, not showing up to calls in emergencies that resulted in death. In August, a man died of a heart attack after relatives repeatedly called 911 but got no ambulance. In other instances, city-owned Crown Victorias were used to transport patients because no ambulances were available.

"There have been problems," Green said. "It's something we clearly need to address. We're going to do that in a number of different ways."

Green said the city's EMS system, which has a fleet of 22 ambulances, receives between 120,000 and 130,000 calls per year, most of which are considered Priority 3 — or nonemergency. Other cities, including St. Louis and Cleveland, don't respond to such calls. Detroit sends ambulances to every run, Green said.

"When you look at those calls, more than 60 percent are nonemergency calls," he said. "People will call us because they can't sleep. We got one person who couldn't get a ring off [[her) finger. We get people calling with migraine headaches.

We need to focus our efforts on those who are truly in need of medical care."


Continued at: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...=2011103040400

They need to do two things.

1. Stop the policy of having everything routed through 911. I can't tell you the number of times I have called the police station only to be told that I need to dial 911 for a non-emergency such as a hooker walking down Warren stopping traffic.

2. Educate people on what is an acceptable use of 911. After being told so many times that you need to dial 911. Citizens get used to that.

the city charter commission should combine Fire/EMS service.. seek business/philanthropic grants for city purchase of new vehicles and maintenance funds.. add a 1 cent tax on tobacco, alcohol..

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Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

They need to do two things.

2. Educate people on what is an acceptable use of 911. After being told so many times that you need to dial 911. Citizens get used to that.

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THIS. I can't believe in this day and age people have to be educated on how and when to use 911 for an EMS. I don't care how much you are told to call 911, you just don't call 911 because of a boil on the back of your leg unless you are absolutely stuuuuuuuuupid.

You mean I cant call 911 when my McDonalds is out of Mc Nuggets?

No, and you cant call on them when your McHummer runs out of McFuel either.

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Originally Posted by adamjab19

THIS. I can't believe in this day and age people have to be educated on how and when to use 911 for an EMS. I don't care how much you are told to call 911, you just don't call 911 because of a boil on the back of your leg unless you are absolutely stuuuuuuuuupid.

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Thats not what I meant but I suppose some people will lie to get a ride to the hospital because they don't know that there are paratransit services available for that. The former Mayor's policy was to funnel everything through 911 which was stupid. If you have to call 911 to report that the door of the abandoned home has been forced open or that there is a hooker courting customers on your street, there is something very wrong. You can fix the system, but you also have to fix a behaviour that the former system adopted.

the billing system for Detroit ambulances is a fraud. My mother has severe chrohn disease that flares far beyond what the typical treatment can help. She went to Sinai Grace two times last year for complications with this disorder. We live about 2 miles [[tops) from the hospital and was billed $850 for one trip, and $1250 for the following. I even caught the driver lying to the other paramedic about the total miles driven after I met them at the hospital and heard the two say openly that the miles traveled was 27 while one was filling out the travel report.
My wife had to be taken a few times to Northwestern hospital in Chicago while we lived there before coming to care for my mother two years ago. We lived in Lakeview and was charged $125 each time. What exactly is wrong with the fraudulent EMS service in this city? Contacting the billing company for the service fetched no results but a response of "what do u want me to do about that?"

may I also add that with a city that is predominantly at or below the poverty rate, the city offers absolutely no way for the poor to negotiate for or apply for bill assistance. Absolutely so discounts or charatible assistance. This is odd cause Chicago, Cleveland and San Fran all offer this.