Unique Collaboration to Reduce ED Visits

Midland Fire Department and Midland Memorial Hospital in West Texas are partnering in a unique way to try to reduce emergency department (ED) visits.  In a new plan, a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant will be added as part of the emergency medical services.  The goal is to have the additional medical professionals available to provide mid-level care when an ambulance is dispatched in non-emergency situations.

Cutting down on overuse of the ED will not only impact the doctors and nurses in that department, but will also have positive effects on other hospital departments, including radiology and labs.

For more details, check out the story on MyWestTexas.com.