Firefighter/paramedic Derek Hofman stands outside Fire Station 44 Dec. 1 for the launch of Milton Fire CARES, a free outreach and assistance program that bridges the gap between emergency care and everyday health care needs. He is the founder of the program. Photo: Chamian Cruz/Appen Media.
The Milton Fire Department has launched an effort to meet the needs of the community while reducing the fallout from expensive ambulance or emergency room bills.
Milton Fire CARES, or Community Advocates for Referral and Education Services, is a free outreach and assistance program that bridges the gap between emergency care and everyday health care needs.
Almost 40% of all EMS calls in Milton are for patients 65 and older, a group that accounts for just over 10% of the city’s population. So, while the elderly community is a main target for the CARES program, the goal is to improve the quality of life of the community as a whole.
Fire Chief Gabe Benmoussa said its focus is on better care, resulting in better health.
“Milton Fire CARES hopes to expand into fully servicing the growing elderly population and any portion of the Milton community with special medical or social service needs,” Benmoussa said. “This service is an innovative way to reach residents in the community outside of the 911 emergency system.”
Milton firefighter/paramedic Derek Hofman, one of the program’s founders, said about 70% of EMS calls are for incidents that could be handled as a non-emergency. This includes a fall patient who would benefit from grab bars, someone overwhelmed by caring for an ailing family member alone or a recurring patient who needs regular health check-ins to prevent emergency calls.
Hofman said the CARES mobile integrated health unit is equipped to offer in-home visits and health assessments to help identify a patient’s needs and guide them to the right resources in the community. These can include doctor’s visit follow-ups, blood pressure checks and flu shot administration.
The unit consists of six firefighter-paramedics who will operate the program twice a week. Benmoussa said they will provide information on CPR or how to manage diabetes as well as check a home’s smoke detectors or for carpets that could result in a fall for the elderly.
There are similar programs in surrounding cities, such as Roswell, but Benmoussa said none are as robust as Milton’s. He said they would eventually like to partner with the Fulton County Senior Center and continue building partnerships with hospitals and urgent care facilities as they move into offering more telemedicine.
For example, Hofman said the department recently got a portable i-STAT machine that reads a patient’s blood values and allows them to diagnose their condition on-site, reducing the time it takes to be treated at the hospital. Additionally, Hofman said the department is working on rolling out monoclonal antibody therapy treatment for COVID-19 as well as COVID-19 testing for in-home visits.
“Our idea is health care shouldn’t cost a dollar amount,” Hofman said. “We want to get them the care they need. … We’re here, and we’re ready to help them out.”
Capt. Mark Haskins, the department’s new medical services officer, will oversee the program. He previously served as a fire captain on Engine 41.
“With CARES, we want to add a value-added service to the citizens of Milton – a service that goes beyond what a typical fire department can offer,” Haskins said.
All Milton fire apparatus are equipped to provide advanced life support, including being staffed with at least one paramedic. All Milton firefighters are also either paramedics or emergency medical technicians.
Residents can sign up themselves or for family members. They can also be referred by first responders or medical professionals who believe they could benefit from CARES.
This article originally appeared on appenmedia.com.