New nurse dispatch program launches in Pueblo

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO)-- The City of Pueblo, in collaboration with Global Medical Response (GMR), is launching a new program called the home of the heroes nurse navigation program. This program will provide residents with non-emergency medical care. The dispatch manager, Kim Jefferies, said they hope this program helps give more attention to emergency callers.

"So the way the program is set up is if they call 911, or even our non-emergency number for the police department dispatch, we will connect them with the nurse line, and then they set them up with a separate plan of action or a plan of care for them," said Kim Jefferies.

According to Jefferies, all nurses are licensed with experience in emergency nursing. The group is specially trained in the practice of telephone triage.

"So they can refer them to help them make a doctor's appointment, send them to an urgent care, or other facility or arrange other transport for them," said Kim Jefferies.

According to the Pueblo Fire Chief, Barbara Huber, they predict that out of the 3,000 non-emergency calls they get a year, 10 percent will be transferred to registered nurses in the program.

Jefferies said people call the emergency line for feeling sick or with concerns about minor injuries. She said this is not what the line is used for. She believes this will free up time for dispatchers who are expected to focus on time-sensitive emergencies.

"The way that we go through the questions in a way it doesn't take any more time than if we remained on the phone with that caller until the resources arrived," said Kim Jefferies.

Jefferies said this program will also give the community more medical resources.

Pueblo Police dispatch still recommends that you call the non-emergency for non-life threatening emergencies.