We heard feedback from many village-based customers in the YKHC service area: the new nurse triage line is terrific! Starting in April 2024, YKHC took over management of the after-hours call line in an effort to decrease response time, improve customer service and support our priority of increasing access to care and emergency response in villages.
The new system, with YKHC registered nurses answering calls and assisting with after-hours care, has provided significant benefits including:
- Direct access to a registered nurse when calls are made to the clinics after hours, weekends, and holidays.
- Significant reduction in response times from first ring to RN pickup for after-hours medical response in the YKHC region.
- Average speed to answer reported monthly was less than 20 seconds, which was well below our goal of direct RN contact within 60 seconds from the first ring.
- Culturally competent nurses, familiar with our region, are employed and trained by YKHC so that they can provide culturally-relevant, quality care for those living in our villages.
- All nurses are trained in Bethel, have an opportunity to visit a village clinic with the trainer during training, understand the unique needs of our region, and receive comprehensive training in phone triage, based on the national standard Schmitt-Thompson Nurse Triage Protocol & the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing.
- Some of the RN staff live or have lived in Bethel, and have experience working with our villages, others have experience working in other remote areas in Alaska.
- All calls are handled quickly and efficiently by the same team of nurses. Health aides are called when necessary for emergency response, but not contacted when the call can be handled by the responding RN, who have a strong understanding of our region and health aides
The YKHC nurse triage line team is made up of a mix of experienced RNs with varying backgrounds and and have extensive experience in emergency services and multiple nursing disciplines. Some also bring years of experience in phone triage. This has contributed to the development of a department that is well-rounded and diverse. The team is dedicated to providing compassionate triage assessment for local village residents and connecting callers to care in a timely fashion.
“I am privileged to work with such a supportive, committed, knowledgeable and enthusiastic group of nurses.”, said Jessica Kelly, FNP, the interim manager for the line. Kelly has been an itinerant FNP provider for our villages for the last three years. She spearheaded the planning and execution of this new service for our patients, with a heart dedicated to high quality care and a passion for service to our village communities. A strong team of leadership, administrative staff, and clinical personnel also made the NTL’s success possible.
The process to reach after-hour medical care in your communities has not changed. When a call is made to the village clinic outside clinic hours, the caller is automatically rolled over to the nurse triage line team and answered by a YKHC Registered Nurse.
Our goal is to provide consistent, quality services to our patients and communities to achieve excellent health!
Quyana!