County hears proposal for nurse-navigation service to reduce ambulance demand; approval contingent on Florence vote

Speaker 2 told the commission the county is considering a nurse-navigation program for 911 calls that would route appropriate calls to clinical nurses instead of ambulances. He said the total upfront cost is $70,000, split evenly between the city and county, leaving a $35,000 county share for startup. He said the program would charge $80 for each 911 call transferred to nurse navigation and estimated roughly 40 county calls per month would be redirected, producing a monthly county cost "about $3,200." Speaker 2 also compared that cost to adding an ambulance, which he described as costing about $954,000 per year.

The resolution on the county agenda is written so it does not obligate the county unless the City of Florence passes a similar resolution, Speaker 2 said. He described the contract as a one-year pilot with an option to extend the contract to up to three years if the pilot meets expectations.

Supporters say the program could increase available ambulance capacity by roughly 1.5 ambulances per day (Speaker 2's estimate) and cited the addition of a private ambulance service (NAMC) to the 911 system as contributing to net capacity gains.

Commissioners asked procedural questions: Speaker 2 said county action is contingent on Florence's process and committee approvals there, and that other structural options — including work through an existing hospital authority that "was never closed out" — remain under consideration.

The commission did not take a final vote on this item during the meeting. The next procedural steps are contingent on the City of Florence's public-safety and finance committees and subsequent council action; county staff said they would return with formal contract language and any interlocal agreement if Florence advances the measure.