Who
- Health system communications leads
- Fire department public information officers
What
Sacramento County has one of the most impacted emergency medical services (EMS) systems in California, with high ambulance patient offload times and emergency department (ED) crowding. While hospital and EMS leaders are collaborating to implement policy changes and operational pilot projects, the demand for EMS services continues to grow. Hospital leaders and EMS provider organizations are trying to educate the public about the appropriate use of EMS to redirect non-emergent cases away from the 911 system.
On Aug. 2, RVP Brian Jensen, Sacramento Fire Department’s assistant chief, and a UC Davis emergency physician spoke at a press conference about the dramatic increase in very low acuity cases in local EDs. They announced the availability of resources. The call to action was: “Save 911 for emergencies. Save the ER for emergencies. Get the right care, at the right place, at the right time.” Three TV news channels covered the event to share the message, and the press conference was live-streamed and promoted via the social media channels of all participating organizations.
Take Aways / Next Steps
The workgroup is developing a package of print resources with the objective of securing articles in print media (local community newspapers) and on the home pages of local government jurisdictions. The plan includes partnering with other trusted community partners such as schools, service organizations, elected officials, federally qualified health centers, and more.