As APOT Issues Linger, Steps Are Being Taken to Address the Problem
Ambulance patient offload times (APOT) — a longstanding issue that has been exacerbated by COVID-19 — remain problematic in many parts of our region. While the APOT issues are ultimately realized inside the hospital, a significant number of the factors causing APOT delays occur outside the hospital. These include:
Meetings Resume to Discuss Contra Costa County Ambulance Patient Offload Times
Who Contra Costa County hospitals Contra Costa County Emergency Medical Services Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Hospital Council What Hospital Council has resumed regular meetings with Contra Costa County hospitals, County Emergency Medical Services, and the County Fire Protection District regarding ambulance patient offload times (APOT). At the first meeting since the pandemic, hospital […]
New APOT Materials Available for Hospitals
As CHA and Hospital Council continue to work on hospitals’ behalf to help educate about ambulance patient offload times (APOT), we have developed materials that members can use when talking with the public, media, lawmakers, or other key stakeholders about this issue.
March Madness is EVERYWHERE!
For any college basketball fan, there’s no time like late March. The NCAA Tournament is in full swing, and with any luck your team is still in the hunt — and at the very least your bracket is still relatively intact.
Update on New APOT Policy from Falck Ambulance in Alameda County
Who Alameda County hospitals Falck Ambulance Hospital Council What On March 1, Falck Ambulance (Alameda County’s 911 provider) implemented a new ambulance patient offload time (APOT) policy for a 60-day trial period. In response to concerns raised by Hospital Council, the policy was revised to drop the provision to bill hospitals for offloads that exceed […]
SMARTER Plan Shows Path Forward, But COVID-19 Challenges Remain
The governor’s announcement last week of his SMARTER plan marks yet another turning point in the fight against COVID-19, as we transition from a pandemic to an endemic. The SMARTER plan uses the lessons of the past two years to prepare for future COVID-19 surges or variants.
Hospital Council Responds To Proposed Policy On ‘Hard Offloads’ And Hospital Billing From Falck Ambulance
Who Alameda County Hospitals Falck Ambulance Hospital Council What In January, Falck Ambulance — the 911 ambulance provider for Alameda County — informed hospitals that it would be implementing a new policy in response to extended ambulance patient offload times (APOT). Under the new policy, Falck intends to leave patients in the emergency department on […]
As COVID-19 Numbers Decline, Many Critical Areas of Focus Remain
Nearly two years into the pandemic, and on the heels of a fourth COVID-19 wave that rivaled the past three, it appears that there may be some good news on the horizon. COVID-19 positivity rates are dropping, and hospitalizations seem to have levelled off or are slightly decreasing, an early sign that perhaps the unprecedented surge brought on by the omicron variant is slowing.