The Houston Fire Department has been expanding its role beyond traditional emergency response, now incorporating telemedicine into its services. According to a report from NPR: “We often respond to calls that aren’t true emergencies,†said one firefighter. “But while we’re on the scene, another emergency comes in—like a shooting or a cardiac arrest—and an ambulance from further away is dispatched, which can delay care for the real emergency.†Last week, Houston firefighter Tyler Hooper drove through heavy rain to assist Susan Carrington, 56, at an apartment complex near Hobby Airport. She was sitting on her couch in a red track suit, coughing and struggling to breathe. “Have you seen your doctor?†Hooper asked. Carrington shook her head. “No? Okay,†he replied. Carrington doesn’t have a regular doctor. She called 911 out of fear, as her cough had lasted four days and made it hard to breathe. In January, she had visited the ER with similar symptoms and was given antibiotics for pneumonia. As part of their training, all Houston firefighters are cross-trained as EMTs, and many are advanced paramedics. Hooper and his team reviewed Carrington’s condition based on her vital signs. “Your vitals look stable,†Hooper said. “Your lungs are clear, your blood pressure is good, and your pulse is normal. Everything seems okay.†Previously, Hooper might have taken her to the ER just to be safe. But now, he uses a new tool: a tablet with a video chat application. He launched the app, and Dr. Kenneth Margolis appeared on the screen from the city’s emergency management center, nearly 20 miles away. “May I speak with Ms. Carrington for a moment?†Margolis asked. Hooper turned the laptop toward her, allowing the doctor and patient to connect virtually. Susan Carrington, 56, had a video chat with a doctor from her home. The doctor assessed her symptoms and scheduled a clinic visit instead of an ER trip. “Ms. Carrington, I’m a doctor with the fire department,†Margolis began. “You’re having a cough, feeling weak, and having trouble breathing, right?†“Yes, sir,†she responded. “And does it hurt when you breathe and cough?†“Yes.†Margolis continued asking questions and observed her reactions. After the conversation, he concluded that an ER visit wasn’t necessary. Instead, he arranged for a clinic appointment the next morning and even secured a free round-trip taxi ride. “They’ll pick you up at 8:30 a.m. and your appointment is at 9:30. Does that sound okay?†he asked. “Yes, sir,†she replied. “I hope you feel better soon,†he said. This initiative is called Project Ethan, short for Emergency TeleHealth and Navigation. It was launched across all Houston fire stations in mid-December. Dr. Michael Gonzalez, an emergency medicine professor at Baylor College of Medicine and the project’s director, says many people are surprised they can talk directly to a doctor. “They’ve been very happy with the service,†he said. Gonzalez explains that the goal is to redirect patients like Carrington to primary care clinics rather than sending them to the ER automatically. Ambulances can be tied up for hours due to paperwork or waiting for hospital admission. By sending some patients to clinics, ambulances stay available in the community, and ERs can focus on more urgent cases. The program doesn’t just turn patients away—it offers a real alternative: same-day or next-day appointments and transportation to and from the clinic. City health workers also follow up with patients to identify underlying issues that may lead to inappropriate use of 911. Houston receives funding for the program, including federal Medicaid waiver money. However, the project costs over $1 million annually to operate. Gonzalez believes the long-term savings will be significant. A 2011 study showed that 40% of ER visits in the Houston area were for issues that could have been handled in a primary care setting. Treating those patients in the ER costs between $600 and $1,200 per visit, compared to $165 to $262 in an outpatient clinic. If all those ER visits were redirected, the potential savings would exceed $2 million. Glass Fiber Pickleball Paddle,Head Pickleball Paddles,Pickleball Racquet,Kinetic Pickleball Paddle Nantong Zhongyi Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. , https://www.apl-pickleball.com