Virtual ExpressCare: 911 to Telemedicine Redirection Program

By Amanda Jepson | Categories: | Comments Off on Virtual ExpressCare: 911 to Telemedicine Redirection Program

In partnership with the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), NYC Health + Hospitals lunched the Virtual ExpressCare (vEC) 911 to Telemedicine Redirection program in 2020 to reduce strain on emergency resources, enhance patient care for non-emergent needs, and improve financial and operational stability.  

The vEC operates continuously, improving emergency response by diverting lower-acuity 911 calls to telemedicine. Within 30 seconds, eligible calls are transferred, allowing patients to access virtual care and reducing unnecessary ambulance transport and emergency department utilization. The program has been integrated into FDNY ambulances, allowing EMS teams to connect with telehealth providers on-site to ensure patients receive definitive care without needed transport. The program also offers rideshare for non-emergent transportation for patients who need in-person follow-up but do not require emergency services.  

This program requires a multidisciplinary team to ensure comprehensive planning, effective execution, and ongoing improvement. Within the health system, teams that are involved in the program are the emergency medicine, digital health, data and analytics, clinical quality and performance improvement, legal, and training and education teams. Externally, NYC Health + Hospitals collaborates with FDNY to properly implement the program.

Since its start, the program has diverted over 25,000 calls, preventing more than 12,000 ambulance transport and emergency department visits. The rideshare program has offered over 3,000 non-emergency rides, further optimizing ambulance availability. Additionally, vEC has lead to high patient satisfaction rates and low escalation rates to emergency services.