Dispatch Health - https://www.dispatchhealth.com/locations/wa/tacoma/

• Karrie Austin, Dispatch Health
• I’m from Tacoma, a nurse for 17 years, last 13 at Multicare. 
• Dispatch health was brought in by Multicare.  Goals of the service are to
  • Decrease ER use
  • Decrease patient length of stay
  • Decrease hospital re-administion
• ERs drive healthcare costs. 
• Dispatch health – mobile urgent care and Emergency Room – providing service in home or wherever it is safe to do so. 
• Want to go to Nativity House and Tacoma Rescue Mission. 
• Will go wherever that may be – but need some privacy and space to work, though.
• We have rovers – Nissan rogues – travel with EMT and nurse practitioner.  Provide medical care in patient home.  Have direct access to board certified ER physician. 
• Patients get referred or call directly – there is an app too, as well as a website - https://www.dispatchhealth.com/locations/wa/tacoma/
• Go through a risk stratification process – like a Schmitt-Thompson protocols (https://www.stcc-triage.com/ if you’re ever curious –ed.) - with a few extra added layers.  We don’t do anything time sensitive – no chest pain, bright red bleeding – which will rule out dispatch health or escalate to 911 call or recommend ER visit .  For the rest of folks we can treat, arrive in 60 to 90 minutes.  If we are pushed back farther, we call so folks know when we will be there. 
• When we arrive, go through the assessment and may escalate (3% of the time) if needed. 
• Travel with lab tools, Intravenous and oral medications.  Can do sutures, staples, splinting (non-displaced), can do all sorts of other stuff - COPD, CHS (probably go this abbreviation wrong – she was talking fast…-ed), can do albuterol, prednisone, we carry a big pharmacy – but no narcotics.  No Benzodiazepines, but can write prescriptions for them. 
• We always connect in with the Primary Care Provider and the referral source.  If assisted living or home health, they get a copy as well.  We serve anyone and everyone  3months old thorugh the lifespan. 
• If no Primary Care Provider, we have access to the Multicare access center, where they can get a Primary Care Provider for whatever insurance they have
• We are in with all major insurance payer, including Medicaid and Medicare – but not Kaiser and Tricare (great, a list of two insurance companies they don’t work with, and one is my provider… -ed). 
• Maureen – are you in network for other Health Maintenance Organizations (MCOs)?  Karrie – we bill as urgent care, wo we typically fall under that insurance coverage umbrella.  Billed to the client at their urgent care copay - $20-$30, or $30-$50.  Questions – if not insured or are homeless? Karrie - if the care Manegement team refers them, will work with Multicare charity care on the backside. 
• Will serve anyone
• Questions - What if clients are in shelter and don’t have insurance?  Karrie – we have flat rate fee – no matter the care, it never exceeds $275. 
• Tring to work with Nativity House and Tacoma Rescue Mission – working to get folks on insurance – to get them on health insurance.  We will do our best to get folks tied in to services.
• If homeless, we will work to coordinate a location that is safe for us to see them. 
• We’ve been in the market for 1 month
• Mitch – are you working with Tracy Green and Mobile Community Intervention Response Team (MCIRT)?  Karrie – yes, working with them.  We don’t do behavioral health as a primary complaint.  We do go out if folks have a medical complaint.  If they have a mental health connection, we work with that, or assign it.
• Questions - How many mobile units.  Karrie - We have 2 units working 10 hour shifts – seeing 10 patients per day.  There is typically 45-50 minutes of facetime, but we’ll stay how long it takes.  20 patients per day.  Will bring on another team when we are starting to reach capacity of current team.
• 8am-10pm 7 days per week.  We’ll work to be available to the community. 
• James – want to talk about young adult shelter.  Can you have office hour slots at a shelter.  Our young adults need STD testing, too.  Karrie – maybe one of our cars could be designated to a specific locations. 
• Question - Even just coming in for an hour, that would be very beneficial.  Karrie – having a discussion with Nativity House – they have been gracious with us there. 
• We are in Tacoma and all of Pierce County, except the back of Graham and Eatonville and much of Key Peninsula – because of the challenge of drive times.  And South King County.   As we grow, we’ll have more geographic expansion.