UCM Digital Health and Albany County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Medical Services Partner to Bring Virtual ER to their Patients

EMS Services and UCM Digital Health connect patients to emergency medicine trained physicians and reduce unnecessary ER visits, streamline workflows, and improve patient care.

TROY, N.Y., Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ —  UCM Digital Health (UCM), a leading digital health and telehealth provider that combines a digital front door platform, team of providers, and 24/7 telehealth triage, treatment and navigation service, is proud to announce a joint program with the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with Albany County Sheriff’s Office of EMS, to bring its digital health platform solution to emergency calls.

The program provides patients with access to virtual care by a UCM provider who serves as a real-time extension of EMS treatment. When diagnosing a patient, the paramedics and EMTs can determine the patient’s severity level and if emergency care at a hospital is necessary. After the assessment, if it is determined that the patient does not require treatment in the hospital or ER setting, with the patient’s consent, paramedics and EMTs can initiate a virtual consultation with a UCM-trained, experienced, and licensed physician who will then proceed to treat and triage the presenting medical issues, ensuring that the patient gets the care they need, right in their location. This solution gives patients immediate access to emergency medicine level care in the comfort of their own homes, avoiding unnecessary and often costly trips to the emergency room. Together, UCM and the Albany County Sheriff’s Office of EMS are addressing emergency medical issues, providing quality care, and significantly reducing the number of unnecessary and avoidable ambulance transports and hospital emergency room visits.

In addition to treating a patient’s immediate concerns, the UCM Digital Health team can provide medical advice and reassurance, prescribe medications, and issue referrals for supplemental treatment, including laboratory testing, radiological imaging, and specialist appointments, should they be needed. Additionally, a follow-up virtual consultation with a UCM provider can be scheduled for the patient.

This shared operation allows the Sheriff Department’s Office of Emergency Medical Services to seamlessly integrate readily available emergency medicine physicians into their 911 responses, resulting in care that can be administered in the patient’s home, rather than in the hospital.  The program reduces excessive workload burdens shouldered by EMS providers and emergency rooms. With increased efficiencies, medical providers gain the capacity to focus on higher-level medical emergencies. This provides patients with the right care, in the right setting, and at the most cost-effective level.

“Ambulance service extends considerable time and resources transporting patients who might be better cared for outside of the emergency room,” said Steve Anderson, Director of EMS & 911, UCM Digital Health. “When an EMS crew is managing low to moderate emergency calls, system readiness for high-level emergencies is diminished. We are proud to partner with the Albany County Sheriff’s Department to help address health care capacity issues, improve quality care, and significantly reduce unnecessary emergency room visits.”

UCM Digital Health also has this EMS integration in place with dozens of other agencies and plans to continue its expansion to additional counties, municipalities, and networks.

About UCM Digital Health

UCM Digital Health (UCM) is a leading innovator in the digital health space, offering a digitally integrated, whole-person health care solution. UCM combines a data platform, a digital front door, a multi-disciplinary team of providers, and telehealth triage, treatment, and care coordination service to provide patients with a range of services available 24/7, including emergent and urgent care, primary care, behavioral health, in-home labs & diagnostics, and more. Care begins digitally, remains digitally integrated, and solves patients’ problems with the least amount of friction.

UCM Digital Health partners with insurers, employers, patients, providers, and technology solutions companies – covering every corner of the healthcare ecosystem to lower costs, improve outcomes and provide a better patient experience. UCM Digital Health’s unique combination of a digital front door platform plus emergency medicine triage and navigation expertise allows all care to begin digitally in one place. Located in Troy, New York, UCM Digital Health was founded in 2015 by emergency clinicians Keith Algozzine, PA-C, and Michael Bibighaus, M.D., who continue to lead the company. UCM is accredited by URAC for Telehealth Services. www.ucmdigitalhealth.com

About Albany County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Medical Services

The Albany County Sheriff’s Office was established in the 1660s and is one of the oldest Sheriff’s agencies in the United States. Since its inception, the Agency has consistently grown to its current strength of over 700 employees. The Albany County Sheriff’s Office is a “full-service” Law Enforcement Agency providing law enforcement services to residents and visitors of Albany County. These services include; Uniform Patrol, Criminal Investigations Unit, Fire Investigation Unit, Scuba Unit, Crime and Accident Investigation Unit, Snowmobile Unit, Marine Patrol, Emergency Response Team (S.W.A.T.) Unit, Hostage / Crisis Negotiation Team, Emergency Management Unit, Bicycle Patrol Unit, K-9 Unit, Traffic Safety Unit, STOP DWI Unit, Civil Unit, Court Security and Inmate Transportation Unit, Forensic Unit, Emergency Medical Services Unit (Paramedics), County Fire Coordinators Unit, Domestic Violence, and Special Victims Unit and a Search and Rescue Unit.

Additionally, this Agency provides 24-hour, seven-day-a-week law enforcement services to the Albany International Airport, located in Colonie New York.

https://www.albanycounty.com/government/departments/county-sheriff