On Tuesday, March 4, Washington County launches its own Nurse Navigation program, enhancing the county’s 9-1-1 response capabilities to better serve community members. Please share this important information with your teams and any relevant partner distribution lists.
As 9-1-1 dispatchers continue providing callers excellent service in figuring out the right level of care, they now have a new tool for assessing incoming calls. Calls that are not life threatening or time sensitive may be connected with a Nurse Navigator. A nurse, who is licensed in Oregon, evaluates a caller’s condition before guiding them to the most appropriate care options, including local urgent care facilities, telehealth services or tailored nurse advice. The nurse can also arrange transportation if that is the barrier to getting care.
What does this mean for a caller connected with a Nurse Navigator?
- Lower health care costs: By providing connections with more appropriate, cost-effective care options.
- Enhanced patient experience: Callers have more options available to them beyond just a trip to the emergency department. Patients receive the right care at the right time, in the right setting to achieve the right outcome at the right cost.
- 24/7 access: The program provides round-the-clock support, ensuring community members have access to a nurse navigator any time of the day or night.
- Cost: This service has no cost to the caller. Medical care at a clinic or urgent care will be billed as usual.
- Language access: Interpretation is available for all callers who need support in any language
More information is available online at: https://wcor.us/NurseNavigation. Know any partners, local organizations or community members who’d like to hear and learn about this? Please share this announcement widely.
