Douglas County highlights ‘3 Teams’ approach to keep vulnerable seniors out of emergency care

Douglas County officials on Nov. 5 described a multi-agency effort to identify frequently used 911 patients among vulnerable seniors and connect them to non-emergency services to reduce unnecessary ambulance transports and emergency-department visits.

Division Chief John Darling of Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical said the effort’s primary aim is clear: "The goal of our process, at least from the MI side and the other 3 teams, is we want to reduce the inappropriate use of EMS in the emergency department." Staff described three partner groups — Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) paramedics, Project Lively social workers (operated through the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging), and Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health staff attached to the Senior Resource Center — that meet weekly to review cases and coordinate responses.

Why it matters: Presenters told the commission the approach is intended to give people better alternatives than repeated EMS responses, which are costly and often fail to address root social or medical needs. Staff showed examples in which coordinated intervention avoided repeat hospital transports and improved patient conditions, and they said the effort may be slowing the county’s long-term growth in total EMS incidents.

How the system works: EMS…