BCoFD : EMS Program Recognized With National Award

Press release from the Baltimore County Fire Department:

June 03, 2021

The National Association of Counties (NACo) has honored a BCoFD emergency medical services referral program for at-risk people.

The 2021 NACo Achievement Awards recognize the ICARE Program, which allows EMS clinicians securely to identify patients at risk of psychological, social and financial problems and refer them to local non-emergency resources.

ICARE stands for Integrated Community Assessment Referral and Evaluation. Last year, EMS Director Rich Schenning and his team initiated the program because they realized that many who call 911 for medical help are vulnerable in non-medical ways -- and that in many cases their non-medical issues contribute to their physical health problems.

ICARE brings together various County agencies that provide social services, housing, financial and other help. It uses interagency collaboration and resource sharing to link vulnerable people to programs that can help them. 

More than 200 ICARE referrals were made in the program's first year. Initial data shows a reduction in EMS calls from patients who tend to seek frequent medical help. 

This press release was produced by the Baltimore County Fire Department. The views expressed here are the author’s own.