Hillsborough County taps telehealth to tackle non-emergency 911 calls

Hillsborough Fire Rescue offers telehealth option

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue wants to respond to emergencies even faster this year and they are adding another tool to the toolbox with a telehealth option. FOX 13’s Ariel Placensia reports. 

TAMPA, Fla. - Hillsborough County Fire Rescue (HCFR) is partnering with telemedicine platform MD Ally to change how the department handles the thousands of non-emergency calls dispatchers receive every year.

Through a new agreement with MD Ally, 911 dispatchers will soon have the ability to route non-emergent callers — for example, those seeking prescription refills — to a virtual doctor instead of dispatching an ambulance to the call.

"I think it's win-win-win: Win for fire rescue, win for the ER, and at the end of the day, win for 911 callers as well," Hillsborough County Fire Rescue public safety information chief Rob Herrin told FOX 13.

How it Works:

When a 911 call comes in, dispatchers ask a series of questions to quickly figure out what resources the caller needs.

If the call is deemed non-emergency, the dispatcher can send callers to MD Ally, who will connect them with telehealth professionals.

"If you're talking to us in this process, it’s because the highly trained dispatchers have recognized that this is the right care pathway for you at this time," said Mike Guadan, vice president of public safety partnerships with MD Ally.

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Patients will receive a link on their mobile device to initiate a video or audio call with a US-based licensed physician.

According to Guadan, this can "accelerate that timeline" of seeing a doctor to within 10 minutes, rather than waiting five or six hours in a crowded emergency room.

"They don't have wait if there's waits. And they're not exposing themselves to anything that might be in that emergency room either," Herrin added.

By the numbers:

The county’s partnership with MD Ally is expected to divert between 10,000 and 20,000 non-emergency calls annually, which accounts for roughly 8% to 16% of HCFR’s total EMS volume.

The partnership – which is expected to launch this spring -- comes at no cost to the county or taxpayers.

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Guadan told FOX 13 MD Ally operates as a virtual provider for insured patients.

"And then for folks that are underinsured or uninsured, we are working with the county to provide those services," Guadan added.

Dig deeper:

While the goal is to reduce unnecessary transports, officials emphasized that safety remains the priority.

"If you call 911 and our dispatch deems that you need us, we’re coming," Herrin said.

Additionally, if a telehealth physician determines a patient's condition is more serious than initially thought, the call is immediately kicked back to Fire Rescue for an emergency response.

The partnership coincides with other county initiatives — like the new permanent Peak Rescue Division — designed to slash emergency response times across Hillsborough County.