Partnership will Expand the Scope of Public Safety Services by adding a New Telehealth Response Tier
FORT MYERS, Florida – May 18, 2022 – The largest county in Southwest Florida will now be able to more efficiently respond to incoming 911 calls through the use of real-time telemedicine technology, thanks to a new partnership with public safety telehealth company, MD Ally.
Lee County Emergency Medical Services, which responds to more than 90,000 incidents annually, will now have additional response options for non-emergency calls, including connecting patients virtually to licensed physicians for personalized and comprehensive care. This will not only save substantial costs for both Lee County and its residents, but also improve the patient experience by reducing the time to see a physician and providing access to a broader scope of resources through EMS.
With MD Ally’s telehealth technology and logistics management solution in place, Lee County Public Safety will connect callers who have routine or less urgent medical issues with emergency medicine physicians who will consult virtually to provide immediate support via telehealth. This option will allow EMS to support people who require a lesser level of care while focusing emergency resources on true emergencies. The goal is to improve ambulance response times, prevent first responder burnout, and help reduce hospital overcrowding. Patients should find the new program will save them from sitting in an emergency department waiting room by allowing direct and personalized access to healthcare providers from the comfort of their own home.
“We want to provide our community with the right care in the right setting, and in some cases that doesn’t have to involve a trip to the emergency room,” said Lee County Public Safety Director Benjamin Abes. “The ability for our team to connect residents to a physician that will address their concerns in real-time will improve access to care and healthcare outcomes, while ensuring our crews are more available to respond to emergencies in the community.”
This collaboration with MD Ally will better connect our local 911 and EMS response to the broader healthcare ecosystem, including local health system partners. This solution utilizes Lee County’s existing technical infrastructure, Emergency Medical Dispatch protocols, and workflows to proactively minimize system disruption, training times, and any foreseen adoption challenges.
“We believe that telemedicine can truly make a difference in the care that patients receive, while reducing the strain on first responders and agencies striving to keep pace with growing populations and increasing call volume,” said Shanel Fields, MD Ally CEO and founder. “By working within the agency’s existing infrastructure, we can ensure that these new telehealth options are easy to access, and the transition to a telehealth response tier is as smooth as possible for both patients and providers.”
For more information, visit mdally.com
About MD Ally
MD Ally partners with Public Safety systems to expand their scope of services to include a telehealth response tier, at no cost to them and with no additional personnel. This allows dispatchers and first responders to connect people deemed non-emergent to telehealth and virtual community paramedicine in real-time. To learn more about MD Ally, visit www.mdally.com.
