Columbus city leaders launched a new option for 911 operators to connect residents to medical care for non-life threatening situations.
Mayor Andrew Ginther and other city leaders made the announcement Monday. Ginther said if someone needs help, they should still call 911. But when that call comes through, 911 operators may connect that person with a nurse who can assess their needs and connect them to an urgent care center or primary care provider.
"It could be a telehealth appointment, pharmacy services, behavioral health or substance use support, transportation assistance, or even guidance on safety caring for yourself at home," Ginther said.
The city said the Nurse Health Care Navigation Line could free up emergency resources for emergencies. The program is a partnership with Crosswalk Health.
In a news release, the city said that in 2024, Columbus Division of Fire personnel responded to nearly 145,000 emergency medical calls and almost two thirds of those calls didn't require treatment on scene or an ER visit.
The city said that of patients who did receive treatment, only 55% were transported to an emergency department.
Ginther said diverting some of these calls could free up resources for time-sensitive calls.
"We help keep our firefighters, paramedics and emergency vehicles available to respond to heart attacks, strokes, serious crashes, fires and other emergencies where every second matters," Ginther said.
The city gave some examples of calls that may get diverted, like mild pain, minor injuries, cold or flu symptoms, fevers or tooth pain.
The city said the Nurse Navigation Line went live on July 24 for a soft-launch period. During the soft launch, 131 callers were diverted to the nurse line and more than half had their medical needs addressed without an ambulance transport to an ER.
