Paramedic Robert Hawley’s emergency vehicle is packed with life-saving equipment. Calls to 911 are often treated with urgency, so every minute counts.

Even with that equipment, Robert still looks for a quicker way to help reduce unnecessary emergency room visits.

“The hospitals are under-staffed; they don’t have enough nurses," Robert said. "And they have way more patients than they’re able to currently handle.”

Dr. Michael Bibighaus of UCM Digital Health says a new service and a partnership with the Albany County Sheriff’s Office could help alleviate this overcrowding, especially if a patient can be treated remotely.

“If a patient calls 911, a paramedic is dispatched to the patient’s home. At that point, they’re assessed, and if deemed appropriate for a treat and place program, the paramedic reaches out to one of our physicians," said Dr. Bibighaus.

Captain Dennis Wood from the sheriff’s office feels that this technology could save more lives.

“If we can take a decent number of these lower acuity calls and handle it with telemedicine and free our paramedic up and ambulances up for another call in the county, it not only keeps them in service, it also saves a bed in an emergency room for, you know, a more serious emergency,” Wood said.

This telehealth service, Hawley says, is already proving to be beneficial and effective for the patient.

“One of the incidences I treated was an elderly female,” he continued. “She had called for vomiting that had been going on for the past several days. We were able to give her some IV fluids, some Tylenol to try and break her fever, and the doctor was able to talk to us on the phone, and he called in some medications to her pharmacy.”