Right Level of Care – When to Call 911 | REMSA Health
REMSA Heath responds to approximately 70,000 requests for service per year in Washoe County. Every call is important to us and we follow international protocols to determine the right level of care for callers. Some callers may need an emergency response and transportation, while others will be guided to a more appropriate level of care. For reference, nearly 30% of the calls REMSA Health receives do not require an emergency response or transportation. To provide our community with the appropriate and clinically-excellent care, REMSA Health uses a variety of responses and patient navigation.
These are all important ways we are working to reduce the number of non-emergent transports to the hospital which allows us to keep valuable resources available for the most urgent emergencies. When you call 911, a medically-trained emergency medical dispatcher will ask you questions to determine the seriousness of your specific medical situation. Our medical dispatcher may determine that you don’t need to go to the emergency room. Instead, they will transfer your call to a registered nurse from our dispatch center or advise you to go to urgent care. This system better addresses each caller ensuring they receive an appropriate response for their needs.
If a medical dispatcher sends a paramedic ambulance your way, it’s important to be prepared. Having your medical insurance readily available at the scene helps us offer you the level or location of care that’s right for you.
The medical 911 call is changing, which means we are, too. Responding to our callers in this way is a safe and appropriate way to ensure we provide you with the best possible care options.
Though not all 911 calls require a trip to the emergency room, your health and wellness still require care. We are here to listen to your needs and provide you with the right level of care.
We know this is a lot of information. It’s important to understand that you might experience something different when you call 911 – and that’s ok. We encourage you to watch this video and share it throughout our community.
