When she worked as a paramedic, Ginifer Wallace saw people call 911 for sore throats or mild cases of the flu.
In those situations, responders usually have two choices: do nothing or take someone to the emergency room in an ambulance, racking up huge bills for the patient and their insurance company.
“You need Mom’s chicken noodle soup and a back rub, not the emergency department,” Wallace said.
In Spokane, paramedics will soon have a third option. Wallace, who works for SNAP, is coordinating a pilot program where patients who call 911 with less serious medical issues can be given a ride to an urgent care center instead of the hospital.
“Patients are going to have the opportunity to get the right care at the right place at a more reasonable cost,” said Dr. Darin Neven, a physician in the Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center emergency room.