A HEALTH STORY Strategy ensures equity in emergency services.
The Challenge
Fire and emergency medical services (EMS) providers play a critical role in providing essential emergency medical and fire safety services to communities. Delivering services is increasingly complex as population and diversity grow. Additionally, service providers are accountable for operational and financial performance, regulatory compliance, and equitable service. Health equity and optimization analysis is a proven solution to identifying dispatch needs, creating a plan, and implementing coordinated strategy.
Austin, TX—one of the fastest-growing U.S. cities—needed to improve emergency service access and delivery for nearly a million residents, representing a range of ethnicities, cultures, and languages. Austin needed an equity-focused adaptability plan to improve emergency service access and delivery for residents and visitors.
Our Approach
We partnered with the City of Austin to conduct a dispatch equity and optimization efficiency study. The process included strategic consulting, comprehensive interviews, and data-driven technology resources and support. Based on this analysis, the PCG team identified the need for increased strategic cooperation, coordination, collaboration, and consolidation. After applying numerous best practices and industry standards, forty-one recommendations were identified to achieve equitable health outcomes, optimize operations, increase cost efficiencies, and identify additional sources of funding.
Outcomes
The City of Austin has adopted PCG recommendations, including hiring a Deputy Medical Director of Health Equity and Performance Improvement, plus four physician assistants. The physician assistants provide in-person and telehealth services to low-acuity patients, helping them to avoid unnecessary ambulance and emergency room costs. Through transparent study and improved communication, relationships are strengthened. Today, Austin provides the highest-quality national-standards-level service access and delivery to all residents.