FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. — The Forsyth County Emergency Department said 911 calls and emergency department services are at an all-time high as they continue to deal with staffing shortages.
"In the past couple of years, especially in the pandemic, we've seen an extremely large increase in calls for service," Daren Ziglar, Director of Emergency Services, said.
Now, they're using a new program in partnership with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist to help take some of the load off. On top of that, they're making sure each patient gets the help they need.
It's been about 60 days so far in trying out this pilot program in which dispatchers direct some 911 calls to a telehealth service.
Ziglar said once someone calls 911, the telecommunicator asks a set list of questions and determines the severity and urgency of the call.
If the call qualifies for telehealth, the caller will be able to speak immediately with a health care provider.
Ziglar said 75% of the calls referred to telehealth were taken out of the 911 system and the caller didn't have to go to the ER.
He said the goal is to continue to reduce the number of calls coming in.
"911 and EMS in general has been the safety net of health care since its origination. When people don't know what to do, they're going to call 911. The reality is the system is stretched so thin that we have to prioritize, we have to ration what we use and when we use it," Ziglar said.
Ziglar added that they're working to expand with Novant Health to make telehealth a 24/7 service.
Guilford County EMS said they've also dealt with staffing shortages and a high volume of calls during the pandemic. A spokesperson said they've looked into option and telehealth is something they're open to, but there is nothing immediately in the pipeline.