The Tucson Fire Department wants to get people healthcare as quickly and safely as possible. And they believe that, in some cases, telehealth services like MD Ally might be the way to go.
TFD face all manner of calls each-and-every day, however, Tucson Fire Department Assistant Chief Barrett Baker says it's difficult to know which visits are actual emergencies.
“Previously, and under the model that generally speaking, emergency services have always operated under, you call 911 and our hands are tied,” Baker said. “You either go to the hospital or you don't go to the hospital and those were the two choices.”
The situation was the same in the city’s public safety communications department, where Operations and Tech Supervisor Lupe Lopez and other call takers answered emergency calls.
“So, prior to MD Ally, we just sent everything to 911. You think you need an ambulance? Then we send one,” Lopez said. "So on our side, we're scrutinizing every call, but we know that if they're requesting medical attention, those calls are going to go out and they're going to get dispatched.”
That's where Special Projects Manager for Tucson’s Public Safety Communications Department Matt Davis says MD Ally comes in.
“MD Ally is an agency that partners with the City of Tucson, and we ensure that the community and the citizens receive the right care at the right time at the right location,” says Davis.
The partnership is a collaboration between TFD, the city of Tucson, and MD Ally.
A partnership, they say, is needed to lower the amount of non-emergency calls mixed in with urgent ones.
“This really came about from a national initiative of decongesting, or decluttering our 911 lines,” Davis said. “Our volume lines are exceeding our first responder staffing. That's creating problems for having our first responders in the right position for ALS or emerging type calls. Now that we have the program, we can transfer lower QD calls that don't need a paramedic or don't need that transport, which is saving our community dollars for transport or time wasted in the hospital.”
MD Ally gives options to give people prescriptions, virtual doctor’s visits, and transportation if they meet the requirements, so that people in need are taken care of while TFD and the city are able to continue covering urgent emergencies.
“Yeah, really, this is a win-win,” Davis said. “What MD Ally is is a win for the community. It gets you the right care at the right time and it's a win for our fire agencies. It keeps them in the place they need to be to respond to emergent-level calls.
Anyone who believes they need the services of MD Ally can call this number: 520-447-4701
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