As COVID-19 surges amid EMS shortage, JoCo officials consider changes to 911 responses
.jpg "Johnson County leaders overseeing the EMS system are considering changes to the way ambulance calls are handled as medical resources have been strained by the latest COVID-19 surge across the Kansas City metropolitan area.")
As emergency medical resources have been strained by staffing shortages and a resurgence of COVID-19, Johnson County officials are considering changes to the way ambulances respond to 911 calls.
Dr. Ryan Jacobsen, medical director for the Johnson County EMS System, said Tuesday that options are being weighed to weed out unnecessary calls for service such as mild illnesses. That could include a more in-depth screening process during 911 calls before dispatching an ambulance or having emergency responders advise patients to stay at home, Jacobsen said.
“We’re trying to keep ambulances available for the true emergencies, traumatic injuries, car accidents, life-threatening things,” Jacobsen said during a COVID-19 briefing hosted by KU Health System, describing the potential move as unprecedented for the Kansas City area.
Under one possible scenario, Jacbosen said emergency medical responders could assess a patient at the scene of a call. Patients would not be transported if deemed well enough to recover without a trip to the hospital in certain cases.
Jacobsen cautioned that the potential changes are not meant to discourage residents from calling 911 when they feel they are experiencing a medical emergency. But he said the present situation in Johnson County, which reflects similar challenges felt across the nation, has prompted a reevaluation that will reserve available resources, including ambulances and hospital emergency room beds.
As of Tuesday, KU Health System had 20 patients waiting in its emergency department for inpatient care, said Gail Schuetz, the hospital’s director of nursing. She said the ideal number is zero, and the overload has raised “big concerns.”
“It’s a day-to-day, minute-by-minute challenge to make sure that our patients are getting the care that they need with the staff that we have,” Schuetz said.
Cases of COVID-19 have greatly increased in the Kansas City metropolitan area as of late, driven in large part by the omicron variant. As of Tuesday, the rolling average of new COVID-19 cases had risen to 3,554 per day over seven days across Jackson, Platte, Clay, Johnson and Wyandotte counties, according to data maintained by The Star. Last week’s average was 2,120 per day.
COVID-19-related deaths are also on the rise. In the past week, 87 deaths were reported in the area, bringing the death toll to 3,516 since the pandemic began.
The Star’s Lisa Gutierrez and Natalie Wallington contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 11, 2022 at 6:08 PM.
