Excerpts from the OrangeCountyRegister.com:
A recent dispatch call was rather vague: a young woman in her twenties had fallen ill and required assistance. Responding to the scene were Anaheim firefighters, soon followed by an ambulance driven by Victoria Morrison, a nurse practitioner. Her task? To evaluate vitals, interview the patient, and determine whether immediate emergency care was necessary or if the situation could be managed comfortably at home.
"Many people dial 911 out of fear," Morrison explained as she returned to the ambulance. "Sometimes all they need is a professional assessment for minor issues, while other times they genuinely require urgent care at the ER." Morrison serves as the lone nurse practitioner for Anaheim Fire & Rescue's Community Care Response Unit, which launched on May 31st to handle low-level 911 medical calls. As part of her role, she can even prescribe medications when needed.
This one-year pilot initiative seeks to reduce healthcare costs, prevent unnecessary—and often expensive—trips to hospitals, and free up firefighters to tackle more critical emergencies in Orange County’s largest city. "We excel at managing high-priority cases like car accidents or heart attacks because there’s a clear protocol for those situations," noted Capt. Dave Barry, the department’s EMS manager and Morrison’s partner during rides. "But it's the lower-acuity calls that aren't true emergencies where we don’t need to transport someone that pose challenges—and Victoria has excelled at providing appropriate care and keeping these individuals out of the hospital."
Since its inception, the unit has attended to 230 patients, with 46% receiving on-the-spot treatment or advice to consult their regular physician instead of going to the ER. This innovative program came with a price tag of approximately $500,000 this year, covering Morrison’s 40-hour weekly salary, medical supplies, equipment, and insurance. Thanks to a public-private collaboration, Kaiser Permanente contributed a $210,000 grant, while Care Ambulance Service provided a customized ambulance.
Anaheim Fire Chief Randy Bruegman expressed his intention to seek city council approval to extend the program beyond its initial trial period. "Residents seem to value this alternative approach—it ensures quality care, reduces expenses, and allows people to receive treatment in the comfort of their own homes," he stated.
As the first municipality in California to adopt such a model, Anaheim based its initiative on one pioneered in 2008 by Dr. Gary Smith in Mesa, Arizona. Initially funded modestly, the Arizona project ran for just three months but was revived in 2011 with support from the city and a local hospital. Today, it operates around the clock. Five other U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, have since implemented similar programs inspired by Smith’s efforts.
In Anaheim, patients opting for Morrison’s care will still incur a standard $350 paramedic response fee but avoid the steep costs associated with ambulance rides and ER visits, which can easily exceed thousands of dollars. Additionally, they gain quicker access to medical attention compared to enduring lengthy waits at overcrowded hospital emergency departments. "People sometimes assume arriving via ambulance guarantees faster treatment at the ER, but that’s not always true," Morrison added. "My goal is to assure them they’ll receive equally competent care from me—and much sooner."
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