NY Empress EMS Prioritizes Home Care Despite Reimbursement Obstacles
The New York metropolitan area was hit hard by the spring coronavirus outbreak, leaving emergency medical personnel scrambling to respond while simultaneously dealing with the usual 911 calls, such as falls or overdoses.
Yet Empress EMS, a partner of PatientCare EMS Solutions and a client of HealthCall, managed to stay on top of a quickly-evolving crisis, treating patients in their homes when outside care wasn’t warranted. Based in Yonkers, New York, less than ten miles north of midtown Manhattan, Empress EMS worked around-the-clock delivering home care to patients, which alleviates pressure from regional city hospitals experiencing spikes in coronavirus cases. Unfortunately, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services only reimburses for hospitalized treatments, not home care.
That doesn’t stop Empress from forging on, using HealthCall’s community paramedicine platform, paramedics video conference with area physicians to treat patients safely in their homes. They are able to care for those who have minor coronavirus symptoms, such as coughing or loss of taste or smell, as well as those suffering from non-coronavirus issues, including seizures, asthma attacks or problems related to diabetes. Read more about how Empress EMS is working hard to keep its community healthy and safe during this pandemic.