Viral Leave-At-Home Program

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) Viral Leave-At-Home (LAH) program was created at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and was prompted by the introduction of the Viral Syndrome Pandemic Triage Protocol by the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services System (MIEMSS) (See Attachment 1). MCFRS adapted this optional protocol on March 27, 2020. The program allowed EMS clinicians to perform an objective assessment of a patient experiencing viral symptoms and determine if they could safely convalesce at home. This avoided unnecessary utilization of an Emergency Room bed, prevented a potentially COVID-positive patient from being exposed to more people, and gave partner hospitals and the 911-system much needed respite amid Maryland and Montgomery County’s first surge.MCFRS’ addition to this program involved a more comprehensive follow-up with those not going to the hospital. MCFRS LAH patients received a guide (https://sites.google.com/view/patientresources-covid/home) to relevant community resources, as well as a text-message survey after MCFRS clinicians left, which asked various questions about their health status. Patients also received a follow up check-in call from the MCFRS Mobile Integrated Health program (MIH) Community Health Nurse. If a patient did not respond to the survey and/or did not answer their phone, an ambulance was sent to their address to check their welfare. This program is still active in Montgomery County, and to-date, 480 patients have been able to recover in the safety of their homes.