Action Ambulance and Mobile Integrated Health Care

Mobile integrated health service is a new kind of care that would identify frequent ambulance and emergency room users in the community to limit calls that tie up ambulances and police and fire personnel, Holyoke officials said Thursday at City Hall.
The City Council Public Safety Committee discussed the proposed new service and ambulance service in general with CEO Michael Woronka of Action Ambulance of Wilmington. That company became the city's new emergency medical services provider as of Feb. 1.
Also participating in the discussion were Carl Cameron, chief operating officer at Holyoke Medical Center, Fire Chief John A. Pond, Police Capt. Manuel Febo, Holyoke Fire Commission Chairman Christopher Hopewell and Commissioner Joshua Garcia and other Action Ambulance employees.

The plan to begin operating the system known as mobile integrated health care hinges on establishing reimbursement regulations and working with the Massachusetts Legislature and insurance companies, Woronka said.
Such care would help the frequent 911-callers and emergency room users obtain care in other ways and stay in touch with them such as with social workers to ensure they are getting care to avoid use of ambulances and the emergency room, officials said.
For example, Holyoke Medical Center has identified 230 such chronic users, Frank McNeill of Action Ambulance said.