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ARM Car offers ER services at homes for lower cost

Posted at 7:27 AM, Jul 27, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-27 09:27:24-04

CENTENNIAL, Colo. — South Metro Fire Rescue has a medical car aiming to cut down on patients' emergency medical expenses and unnecessary ER visits. The Advanced Resource Medic, or ARM car, staffs paramedics and nurse practitioners to come to your home or work and offer treatment similar to urgent care.

The car is stocked with a mobile CLIA-certified laboratory and medical supplies for a variety of procedures and tests that would normally not be performed by an ambulance crew. Services include, but are not limited to, blood chemistries and blood counts along with strep throat, influenza, urinary tract infection, hidden gastrointestinal bleeding and pregnancy testing. Click here to learn more about the services offered.

The ARM car operates in partnership with Dispatch Health. The Denver-based company provides clinical expertise and medical oversight for the program. Nurse practitioners offer care and can write prescriptions right on scene, freeing up hospital beds and emergency crews to help patients who need further treatment.

Along with medical care, the ARM car helps patients navigate the healthcare system by connecting them with primary care doctors, home care and social services support.

The ARM unit responds to 911 calls centrally out of the South Metro Fire Rescue headquarters facility on Mineral Avenue in Centennial to areas served by the fire department. Dispatch Health offers services in cities across the Front Range. The company accepts most insurance plans. Out of pocket, services cost around $275, but that is only a fraction of what an emergency room visit could cost you.