Brownsville Fire Department Seeks Ways to Reduce 911 Calls

An anesthesiologist certified by the American Academy of Pain Management, Dr. John Wells serves the City of Brownsville, Texas as the City Health Authority and Medical Director of the Brownsville Fire Department Emergency Medical Service (Fire/EMS). Dr. John Wells provided leadership in the creation of pre-hospital Fire/EMS services including the launching of the Mobile Integrated Health and Community Paramedic (MIH/CP) program.

The MIH/CP program is the Dire Department’s way of maximizing the Fire/EMS’ capabilities to respond to real emergencies. It has been noted that frequent 911 callers are asking for assistance with non-emergency medical care. The MIH/CP seeks to identify these frequent callers so that their real needs are evaluated and so that they may be referred to appropriate healthcare facilities.

Brownsville Fire Chief Jarrett Sheldon stated that ambulances getting tied up with non-emergency situations are becoming a commonplace in Brownsville. This situation decreases the Fire/EMS’ capabilities to respond to emergencies such as major vehicle collisions. The MIH/CP program is expected to cut down 911 calls for non-emergency situations.

The Brownsville Fire Department will send two EMS personnel to frequent 911 callers to evaluate what causes them to call 911, whether the reason is the lack of transportation to make a doctor’s visit, lack of adequate information on available healthcare programs, non-compliance to the doctor’s orders, lack of insurance coverage, or being elders who live alone. After the evaluation, Fire/EMS will refer them to veterans groups or non-profits that offer services that meet their needs. The goal of the MIH/CP is to make frequent callers more self-sufficient.

The Difference Between Basic and Advanced Life Support EMS

A graduate of the Texas Tech University School of Medicine, Dr. John Wells serves as a medical director of fire and emergency medical services (EMS) for the City of Brownsville in Texas. Dr. John Wells helped establish the first advanced life support (ALS) paramedic EMS service in Brownsville.

EMS services can provide either ALS or basic life support (BLS) and understanding the difference is important as it affects the delivery of care. BLS EMS providers are not allowed to perform procedures that break the skin of patients, which means they cannot administer injected medications or start an intravenous line. This type of ambulance is also not set up for cardiac monitoring and is thus most appropriate for transport between medical facilities or patients with conditions that are not life-threatening.

ALS EMS ambulances have a paramedic on board. The paramedic is trained to provide cardiac and airway life support. The ambulances can support people who need a ventilator, as well as intravenous medications. In addition, personnel can perform cardiac monitoring and other procedures that can help stabilize patients as they are transported to a trauma center.

Preventing Back Pain in Sedentary Occupations

As the medical director of fire/EMS services for Brownsville, Texas, Dr. John Wells oversaw the recent implementation of a mobile integrated health program for the city, which aims to reduce the number of users of both the EMS services and local emergency rooms. Dr. John Wells is a pain management specialist and the current CEO of Melchizedek Medical, PLLC where among other duties he organizes medical directorships for consultations in correctional and occupational medicine.

Although not typically thought of as a hazardous position, office workers are among those in high need of occupational medicine. The sedentary nature of office work can lead to complications in the spine and back pain.

To help prevent back pain while working, it’s a good idea to customize your workspace in the office. Make sure everything on your desk is within reach and you have easy access to frequently used items. You should also adjust your chair so that your feet are flat on the floor and your knees are at a 90-degree angle.

Whenever possible, try to take breaks and move around. The more you alternate between sitting and standing, the less likely you are to develop back pain.

Brownsville's MIH/CP Program

A member of the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP), Dr. John Wells, MD, is the medical director of fire/EMS for the City of Brownsville, Texas. Dr. John Wells has helped develop new programs for the city, such as Mobile Integrated Healthcare and Community Paramedicine (MIH/CP), launched in December 2019.

Designed to assist frequent 911 callers with non-urgent medical care, the MIH/CP program provides preventative care for bedridden and elderly residents of the city. It also is designed to help detect patients with high chances of hospital readmission.

The program identifies residents who have no other means of getting health care for medical issues than calling 911. Once such an individual is identified, community paramedics check the patient at home, evaluate their present living conditions, and connect them with appropriate resources. Visits are conducted multiple times, on a scheduled basis.

To learn more about the program, call the Brownsville Fire Department at (956) 546-3195.

NAEMSP Membership Benefits

Based in Brownsville, Texas, Dr. John Wells oversees the town’s EMS and fire departments in his role as the medical director. Dr. John Wells is a member of the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) and the Urgent Care Association of America.

Founded in 1984, the National Association of EMS Physicians has grown to now serving 1,500 members, including paramedics, nurses, physicians, administrators, and researchers. NAEMSP members enjoy many benefits, such as monthly e-news and blast emails that connect members with timely and informative updates. Members also get access to the association’s official peer-reviewed journal, Prehospital Emergency Care, which comes out six times a year and also offers online-only content.

Additionally, members are invited to attend the annual meeting, where they can engage in continuing education opportunities, and they have access to the membership directory, which aids in networking. Members can also take on leadership roles by serving on committees or task forces as well as the Board of Directors.

To learn more about these benefits and others, visit https://naemsp.org/.

UCA Report Highlights Growth of the Urgent Care Industry

Based in Texas, Dr. John Wells is the city health authority and medical director of fire/EMS for the city of Brownsville. Alongside this, Dr. John Wells is a member of the Urgent Care Association (UCA), which is comprised of professionals that delivers consumer-focused and on-demand services.

The organization, which provides research and advocacy on behalf of professionals, recently released a report highlighting that the number of urgent care facilities has grown to 9,616, a 9.6 percent increase. In addition, the UCA noted that 97 percent of patient visits last less than one hour, which indicates that patients are receiving quick and timely care.

According to Laurel Stoimenoff, the CEO of the UCA, the growth is driven by innovation, primarily the use of evidence-based medicine systems, such as with telemedicine and occupational therapy. In fact, an increasing number of facilities are looking toward telemedicine. Meanwhile, another 30 percent of those facilities that have yet to offer the same service expressed plans to introduce telemedicine to their respective communities within the next year.

Brownsville’s Strategies for Combating Mosquitoes

A Texas-based physician, Dr. John A.Wells,MD,MBA has extensive experience in public healthcare welfare. As a city health authority with the Brownsville public health department, Dr. John Wells has assisted in launching initiatives that would improve health for city residents.

One of the city's initiatives launched a few years ago is a program that would proactively address the mosquito problem.

Brownsville, Texas is on the border of the southern US and is home to 39 species of mosquitoes that are known to transmit dangerous pathogens, making humans susceptible to diseases such as the Zika virus, West Nile Virus, malaria, dengue, yellow fevers, and encephalitis. Incidentally, Brownsville reported the first case of Zika virus in 2016.

To combat the Zika virus, the city’s department of health, CDC, University of Texas School of Public Health and the EPA collaborated to establish a programs that would reduce the mosquito population. The programs were geared to assist Brownsville residents who belong to the low-income population. Mapping risks include looking at rain amounts, temperature, and land cover to assess the amount of risk posed to areas.

More than just researching potential hot spots for mosquito growth, the department instituted crowdsourcing, promotoras, and spraying technologies. Crowdsourcing involves allowing residents to fill out forms on an online platform that will report information on potential breeding sites. The second platform is to train community members to educate other members about the transmission of diseases through promotoras. Finally, the city was given technology through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development that would more effectively combat mosquitoes. Through Pro-Mist technology, vector control workers can spray in hard to reach areas.

NAEMSP Awards Outstanding EMS Professionals at 2020 Annual Meeting

Conference Photo by Luis Quintero from Pexels

Based in Brownsville, Texas, Dr. John Wells,MD, MBA is a medical professional with several decades of experience in the industry. In addition to working as the medical director of the city’s fire and EMS services, Dr. John Wells,M.D, MBA is a member of the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP), which works to improve emergency medical care across the country.

The organization recently held its 2020 annual meeting, where the NAEMSP honored EMS professionals from around the country with various awards and grants. Held from January 6 to 11, the event took place at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California.

Speaking at the event, NAEMSP President David K. Tan, MD explained that many of those who received awards and grants helped to advance the industry in various ways, including research, innovation, and volunteering to mentor others. As such, Dr. Tan highlighted that the NAEMSP is honored by the work they do.