This Week: ANDRES MERCADO, Mobile Integrated Health Officer (MIHO), City of Santa Fe Fire Department -A New Successful Model For Emergency Medical Services that provides Better Care and Saves Money.

– This week's guest on REPORT FROM SANTA FE is Andres Mercado, Mobile Integrated Health Officer (MIHO) with the City of Santa Fe Fire Department, describing the innovative, groundbreaking work MIHO is doing in providing emergency medical services to the community. Their work is mission-focused (to protect life safely through emergency response) and data-driven.

Since 1880, the Santa Fe Fire Department (SFFD) has responded to calls for emergency help. Over time, the types of calls handled by SFFD have changed and expanded. There are fewer fires, while there are many more calls for emergency medical services (now making up about 80% of SFFD's calls). A study of SFFD's Incident Report Calls shows the department is expected to handle other hazards such as wildfire, hazardous materials, and technical rescues.

In an analysis from 2012-2018, Santa Fe Fire Dept. Incident Type Group calls fell into the following two groups.:

· EMS (emergency medical services) = 70,825 calls

· Fire = 1171 calls for the same period of time

The Mobile Integrated Health Office program focuses on frequent utilizers of 911 and the emergency room at the local hospital, Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. It is a team-based approach, coordinated with medical and social services in Santa Fe. The team is composed of 3 EMTs, a coordinator, a part-time pharmacist, a physician, and a social worker

The Mobile Integrated Health Office's goal is to help SFFD patients and community members get the right care, at the right time, and in the right place. Data analysis has been used to prioritize emerging issues such as behavioral health, preventative strategies to help high-risk behavior and the complexity of navigating the health and social service system. Community paramedicine saves money while delivering better services to homeless, senior, and mentally-ill people.

With the help of Andres Mercado, Santa Fe and the SFFD are leading the way in repurposing EMTs, already trained as first responders, to prevent chronic disease and keep people out of the hospital. They collaborate with behavioral health specialists, primary care doctors, nurses, home health agencies and other providers. Mercado, MIHO, and the Santa Fe Fire Department are providing a new template for responding to 911 calls and demonstrating a new successful model for emergency medical services.

***Interesting Facts -- 911 Calls in Santa Fe

· Fires Make Up Less Than 1% of 911 Calls

· Health-Related Complaints Make up the Majority of All 911 Calls

· Behavioral Health (Mental Health & Substance Abuse) Account For Approximately 1 In 4 Calls to 911

· Less Than 1% of the City's Census Population Makes Up About 18% of All 911 Calls