Alternate Destination Strategy Approved in Sacramento
Who What SCEMSA’s medical director recently reported that the California Emergency Medical Services Authority approved the agency’s application for a triage-to-alternate-destination policy. Three facilities are now contracted to serve as receiving sites for mental health and substance use disorder patients, including those on involuntary holds per the provisions of Senate Bill 43. The facilities include […]
Critical Deadline Approaches on Ambulance Patient Offload Times
On Sept. 1, hospitals must submit an ambulance patient offload time (APOT) reduction protocol under Assembly Bill 40. This bill requires hospitals to include mechanisms that will improve internal operations and reduce APOT. The standard is 30 minutes, 90% of the time for general acute care hospitals with emergency departments.
Sacramento County APOT Improvement Planning Begins
Who What On June 26, SCEMSA convened 18 hospital and fire department leaders to tackle a systemic ambulance patient offload time (APOT) improvement process. Dale Ainsworth, PhD, a respected facilitator, was brought in to guide the process. The intent was to help hospitals exchange best practices and to inform the development of plans for expediting […]
Hospitals Focus on Trauma Response
Who What The Central Valley Trauma Symposium on May 17 in Clovis had over 400 attendees last week, filling the Clovis Veterans Memorial District auditorium. Drawing participants from across the state, this annual convening was a day-long event with over a dozen presenters on topics, including specific injury and care situations (acute spine injuries, burns, […]
Care Provided to Unhoused Patients at Homeless Encampments
UC Davis Health partners with Sacramento County Health Center to deploy “street medicine teams” that offer comprehensive primary care services to unhoused populations.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Saves 64-Year-Old from Amputation
Butte County’s only multi-chamber facility applies Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to “promote wound healing,” saving patients from amputation and life-threatening injuries.
Advanced Cardiac Care Saves Restaurateur
If it wasn’t for the advanced cardiac care available at Clovis Community, Aaron Vasquez likely wouldn’t have survived his heart attack.
Addressing Inmate Emergency Department Transport Protocols
Who What At a meeting convened by Hospital Council on March 20, SFD shared concerns about communication and protocols on when the county jail uses emergency medical services (EMS) providers to transport inmates to community hospitals. In 2023, SFD transported over 660 inmates to hospitals, though hospital staff determined many did not need hospital-level care. […]
Surgeon Provides Alternative
A new minimally invasive procedure called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) might just make valve replacement, open-heart surgery, and the use of a heart-lung machine a thing of the past.
APOT Time Discussions Continue in Sacramento Area
Who What At a public meeting on Feb. 8, the Sacramento County health officer committed the county to not pursuing financial penalties on hospitals for missing ambulance patient offload time (APOT) targets. This is to ensure a collaborative approach to APOT improvement. The county hosted an APOT summit on Feb. 13 designed to unite hospital […]