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DENTON – The Caroline County Health Department - in partnership with the Department of Emergency Services - soft launched a new Mobile Integrated Health program last December. The mobile unit traveled to the home of one patient a week throughout that first month, targeting those who made more than five calls to 911 in a six month period. The program’s stewards, Holly Trice, Jenna Amador, KJ Marvel, and Robin Cahall, spoke at the March 24 Caroline County Commissioners meeting to give an update on how the program is progressing and what successes they are seeing.
There are currently 72 individuals in the county who have been referred to the program, having fit into this frequent 911 caller criteria. During a visit by the MIH unit, a Community Health Nurse and a Paramedic assess the patient’s home environment for any risk factors, perform a health evaluation, and help facilitate telehealth appointments with primary care providers or specialists. “Our goals, ultimately, are to reduce the number of unnecessary 911 calls, reduce unnecessary emergency department visits and hospitalizations, and to improve patient safety and well being and enhance disease self management,” said Trice.
So far they have been able to reach 10 patients with a total of 17 home visits, including follow-ups. “We did have an 85% reduction in 911 calls after MIH enrollment for these clients,” Trice said. There were three emergency room visits by MIH patients dealing with heart disease, diabetes, or respiratory issues, but KJ Marvel with Emergency Services said that the overall reduction in 911 calls and ambulance transports from these patients alone from December to the end of February saved the county $111,500. They also discussed the cost savings on the patient’s end by not having to pay for emergency room visits or hospital stays.
By coming to the patient directly, the team is also able to refer clients to other services they may need by getting them in contact with the Health Department’s social worker and local assistance with utilities, transportation, and food. The majority of the clients that have been referred so far are 50 or older.
Amador said the biggest barrier to helping more patients right now is funding. She would like to see the MIH unit go out more than one day a week to accommodate more patient’s schedules. She also mentioned that the program is so vital to Caroline County in particular due to our large population of folks with health issues who are aging in place with limited transportation and healthcare options. Another need they have identified is the procurement and installation of safety features like grab bars and smoke detectors, which they are working with other organizations around the county to get for patients who need them.
"I think this is great…I think we throw everything we got at this,” said Commissioner Larry Porter, thanking the representatives from the program for their work. Commission President Travis Breeding said he would be interested in helping push legislation through either state or federal channels that would allow for the MIH services to be reimbursable through insurance, as it is currently not. “Thank you for the time and effort you're putting into standing up this new program, it sounds like it's very promising,” he said.
