The Clinical Call Center at Northwell Health has been accredited as a Center of Excellence for providing quality nursing triage services that differentiate emergency patient situations form non life-threatening ones and ensure the highest level of patient care. It is the second such center to be recognized worldwide by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch.
Ten nurses handle the steady flow of calls that come in each day and night from the health system’s health solutions program, which oversees the care of patients post-hospitalization who are at a high risk of needing re-admission to a medical facility. These patients include those with chronic health issues and who have more than one medical condition.
The nurses are certified in emergency medical dispatch and skilled at screening for priority symptoms and obtaining additional patient information, such as allergies and medication use, in determining the level of care needed by the patient.
“Our nurses are trained to rule out whether a patient needs to be seen in an emergency room, could be scheduled for an appointment at one of our Northwell Go Health urgent centers or if we can help them stay at home following some basic home care,” said Debra Tomassetti, RN, program director of the Clinical Call Center. “This accreditation recognizes our commitment to patient care and cutting down on unnecessary use of our emergency services.”
