2.20.01 Turning Calls Over

2.20.1 Turning Calls Over  (Revised 10/2020)

OVERVIEW
Amerimed may experience “overload” due to customer requests / demands, facilities not being ready upon our arrival at pick-up or off-loading delays at destinations, weather, traffic, vehicle issues, or associate illness or injury. Any of these reasons alone or combined may be deemed as necessary reasons to turn over a request.

If Amerimed receives an ASAP or emergency request and does not have a unit available or cannot meet response guidelines as outlined in 2.5.1 Emergency Call, Accepting, several factors should be considered.
• Can another unit be “pulled” from their current assignment? (Unless already patient loaded and/or have made contact with patient)
• Can an additional unit be staffed by utilizing extra associates and/or Management staff? If “no,” it may be necessary to refer the request to another agency.

Turning a non-emergency request over to another agency requires management authorization. Emergency requests do not require management authorization; however, a detailed description of the situation should be recorded in the CAD data.

Turnovers can only be authorized by Division Managers, Operations Managers, or the OCE. Shift Commanders can not authorize turnovers.

SECTION A

Emergency Requests:

If an emergency call requires to be turned over, immediately follow the Calling Order of Agencies. If the emergency call is coming out of a hospital, the operator should contact the Division Manager for consultation. If the Division Manager is not readily available, the operator should contact the Operations Manager. If confirmed or instructed to attempt to turn the call over, follow the specified calling order of agencies for emergency calls based on the pick-up location of the call.

SECTION B

Non-Emergency Requests:

The operator should contact the Division Manager for approval. If the Division Manager is not readily available, the operator should contact the Operations Manager. If instructed to attempt to turn the call over, follow the specified Calling Order of Agencies for non-emergency calls based on the pick-up location of the call.

As always, in the event an operator is unable to make contact with a member of the management team, he/she should document the time and method of the attempts and continue using his/her best judgment. The operator should leave a message on voice mail(s) (if available) to provide a clear audit trail.

Detailed notes of all turned over calls must be documented in the CAD. The operator will need to document the nature of the call, why the call was turned over, who advised the turn over (if using best judgment, must document which members of management the operator attempted to contact), agency call was turned over to, time call was turned over, who was notified at the p/u location that the call was turned over, and what time the p/u location was notified of the turn-over