Frequent Flyers

September 4, 2008

tory

baltimoresun.com

Program offers care for frequent 911 callers

Patients were linked to case managers who steered them to appropriate

services

By Fenton | justin.fenton@...

1:53 PM EDT, September 4, 2008

Baltimore health and fire officials say a 12-week pilot program that linked

the city's most frequent 911 callers to medical care and social services cut

down on emergency visits and saved $18,000 in ambulance services.

In May, the quasi-public Baltimore HealthCare Access Inc. linked 10 people

with case managers who steered them toward appropriate services. The focused

attention cut down on their calls by 43 percent, and most of the patients

reduced their calls to 911 by 80 percent.

" Frequent calls to 911 were cries for help [from] people who did not know

where to turn for assistance, " said Kathleen Westcoat, president of

Baltimore HealthCare Access. " We've been able to connect people to

meaningful resources, which will greatly improve their health and

well-being. "

Baltimore's health commissioner, Dr. M. Sharfstein, said the city is

looking at ways to expand the program. " Our goal is to improve the lives of

city residents and reduce health care costs at the same time, " he said.

The top 10 callers represented more than 500 emergency responses from May

12, 2007, to May 12, 2008. One patient alone required 130 transports to

local hospitals.

Officials said that all but one of the patients had health care but did not

know how to manage their needs. Caseworkers assessed their conditions and

linked them to such resources as eye care, adult day care, food stamps,

energy assistance and drug treatment. An 88-year-old woman who said she

called 911 because she was lonely is receiving daily visits from a case

manager.

" For a lot of people, it was a matter of connecting them to the appropriate

services to get them through the day, " Westcoat said.

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