Program aims to help East Bay residents navigate health care systemand save lives

"ANTIOCH As 116,000 ambulances raced across Contra Costa County in 2024, nearly one in five calls were for non-life-threatening emergencies. With hopes of reducing the burden on emergency rooms, the Healthcare Literacy Council of Contra Costa County aims to help people better understand their health coverage, especially those on Medicare and Medi-Cal. Dubbed Right Care, Right Way, the council's new campaign focuses on education to avoid unnecessary emergency room visits and to get the care someone would need in a more affordable and effective manner. The pilot program, established by Contra Costa County Supervisor Diane Burgis, is in collaboration with the Contra Costa Fire Protection District, Kaiser Permanente, and Contra Costa Health."

"We've created a fiscally sustainable model, but we realized that we were running up against operational barriers, because operational sustainability was a challenge for us, said Broschard. So, we wanted to come up with something that we could be a part of to try and change the dynamic of people receiving health care, and not necessarily always having to fall back on the emergency departments and the 911 system."

Contra Costa County experienced 116,000 ambulance dispatches in 2024, with about 20% for non-life-threatening emergencies. The Healthcare Literacy Council of Contra Costa County launched the Right Care, Right Way campaign to help residents, especially those on Medicare and Medi-Cal, understand health coverage and seek more appropriate, affordable care. The pilot program was established by Supervisor Diane Burgis in collaboration with the Contra Costa Fire Protection District, Kaiser Permanente, and Contra Costa Health. Assistant Fire Chief Xon Burris Jr. noted that the 20% figure may be higher because ALS units are sometimes dispatched for non-emergency incidents based on demand and system status. Fire District Chief Lewis Broschard said operational sustainability challenges prompted the initiative to shift care away from emergency departments and 911 when appropriate.

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