San Jose, California-based VSee Health, a telehealth company, announced it partnered with Tele911, a telemedicine and patient navigation platform for the emergency medical services sector.
The alliance will utilize VSee Health’s telehealth building blocks platform to expand Tele911’s influence in addressing two challenges in emergency medical services (EMS): emergency room overcrowding and the ongoing 911 and emergency medical services (EMS) staffing crisis.
VSee's SaaS platform allows clinicians and enterprises to create telehealth workflows.
Tele911’s platform reroutes low acuity 911 calls away from expensive and resource-draining emergency room visits by providing on-demand telemedicine consultations with board-certified emergency physicians.
Tele911 also works with paramedics to determine if patients need to be transported to a hospital emergency room or if they can be treated at home or at an alternate care site.
The strategy is to free up emergency resources and alleviate the strain on overburdened EMS teams.
In regions where Tele911 operates, the model has served more than 7 million people across 17 locations in four states at a cost savings of $28.8 million in healthcare costs from less than 10,000 consultations.
In a statement, VSee Health said its telehealth building block infrastructure provides Tele911 with the freedom to rapidly pivot with the needs of its clients. That could include adjusting key workflows, scaling services, adding new locations, integrating with payers and 911 systems, or enhancing patient follow-ups.
According to the company, by using VSee Health’s HIPAA-compliant technology, Tele911 will have the ability to onboard more than 300 new fire and EMS agencies in its expanding pipeline.
"This partnership is a game-changer for the EMS industry," Milton Chen, co-CEO of VSee Health, said in a statement.
"By combining Tele911’s innovative care model with our robust telehealth platform, we are providing a scalable secure solution that allows Tele911 to deliver care on average in just 40 seconds, ensuring a robust 911 system for our nation," Chen said. "Together, we can ensure that emergency care is available when and where it’s truly needed."
Dr. Ramon Lizardo, CEO of Tele911, stressed the importance of the collaboration.
"Our national 911 system serves as the default primary care for millions of patients. This puts EMS agencies under unprecedented pressure, with staffing shortages compounding the demands of emergency response. Our partnership with VSee Health allows us to focus on providing care when and where it’s most needed without worrying about the technology. Together, we’re redefining emergency care for millions of patients," Lizardo said in a statement
THE LARGER TREND
In August, VSee Health and Ava Robotics partnered to create an autonomous VSee-powered Ava robot for use in a hospital inpatient intensive care unit. VSee's SaaS platform will power the robot, which enables remote physicians to be at patients' bedsides to deliver patient care in the ICU as well as work with onsite staff.
In 2022, Bicycle Health, a company involved in virtual opioid use disorder treatment, partnered with Tele911 to connect patients to continuing care after an overdose or health crisis. The collaboration aimed to help patients who are experiencing serious health effects from opioid use disorder access ongoing care.
