By Steve Farzam
Early in the pandemic, people scrambled for COVID-19 tests, waiting days for scarce appointments or for long hours on foot or in their cars at public testing sites. As a long-time EMT-Paramedic working in hospitality industry at the time, I saw an immediate answer: Bring COVID-19 testing to where people needed it so they could go about their lives safely.
I didn’t open 911 COVID Testing® to become a healthcare entrepreneur. I was purely responding to my community’s urgent need as I did in 2005 for Hurricane Katrina – and I had the expertise, resources and passion to make it happen. I wanted to provide reliable testing for my brave team members, who chose to work during the height of the pandemic, and guests of the Shore Hotel.
Then word of mouth quickly spread that a drive-through service was available. I couldn’t say no to those who needed safety and peace of mind during our public health crisis.
Last fall, we began weighing the future of our business. The five-star service ratings reviewers awarded 911 COVID Testing® told us the bigger story: People want and deserve a better healthcare experience that’s streamlined. That’s why we’re launching a comprehensive healthcare company that will deliver what we call “A New Standard of Healthcare.™”
Welcome to 911 Health.
Healthcare Experiences That Put Patients First
Without question, the best providers and best supporting services are essential for creating the best healthcare system. But they don’t necessarily always come together to create the finest healthcare experience, which should be centered on the patient.
We believe that differentiates the emerging 911 Health experience. We bring the most vital and evidenced-based practices of healthcare diagnostics and treatment – ranging from mobile veterinary care to pediatric care for your child, comprehensive occupational medicine, high complexity laboratory testing, accredited mobile surgical units and an array of imaging services – into a single touchpoint for our clients.
Our state-of-the-art joint operation communications center (JOCC) is staffed by our own people, who understand and value the importance of 5-star service. Our enterprise uses USA-based technology that serves as a heartbeat to deliver a seamless experience while maintaining operational response and readiness. We are committed to only providing the most talented and qualified experts to meet and exceed our clients’ expectations. We achieve this by attracting and recruiting the industry’s best providers.
Say you have pet at home who is clearly not feeling well. Rather than going through the arduous process of finding an open veterinarian practice with the availability to care for your pet at an affordable price, our enterprise and services are easy to access with just a few keystrokes.
Our Immediate One-Stop Care Approach
My opportunity to serve our community in the emergency medical service industry allowed me to experience firsthand how patient outcomes can drastically be improved if the provider has a proactive and transparent vision that allows for change and growth. My goal was to create a client-centric system, where my own loved ones will be treated as any other client should be.
Our services are not limited to emergencies only. But, like what you would expect when dialing 911, your request will be received instantaneously through our website or a simple phone call to our JOCC. Our trained dispatcher will quickly triage and provide you with the information and options to help you make an informed decision.
Via our communications center, we coordinate your service in an easy and friendly way – often that same day. In the near future, we’ll provide 24/7 and fully mobile capabilities, allowing you to get care when and where you need it.
As a comprehensive provider, we tie together every loose end in today’s disjointed healthcare experience. We do this by removing the barriers that many of us face from virtually every current provider in existence. In other words, if you need any blood drawn for the laboratory, we’ll do it at your doorstep, we’ll remove the need for you to go to the pharmacy for a medication refill. We’ll provide the necessary treatment to get you back to the things that are important to you.
911 Health has opened its doors with diagnostic testing via 911 Labs, which we’ve scaled to offer comprehensive testing via our state-of-the-art, high-complexity laboratory. By controlling that end-to-end process, we deliver trusted results faster.
In the coming months, we’ll introduce 911 Med Health, with providers who care for adult and pediatric patients. We’ll also debut 911 Imaging, allowing you to get X-rays and ultrasounds at a time and location that’s convenient for you. If the traditional office is more your flavor, our brick-and-mortar Urgent Health Center at our Santa Monica headquarters will offer the same great service.
We envision that 80% of patients will opt for house calls, with most receiving same-day care as other patients wait up to 20 days to see a physician in a primary care practice. Our fleet and office will dispense many commonly prescribed medications – or we’ll contact your pharmacy and deliver what you need, saving you a trip.
Healthcare Requires a Broader View
911 Health cares for all of your loved ones. Our mobile 911 Vet Med, which saw its first pet patients on May 1, brings routine care, including vaccinations, to your door. In the pipeline is an operating room on wheels for emergencies and routine surgeries, such as spaying and neutering.
Good healthcare serves the greater community. 911 Educators delivers training – including CPR, BLS and ACLS – to prepare you for health emergencies so that you can be ready for a professional role, a volunteer gig or an emergency. Through 911 Events, we deploy EMT crews for on-site medical support at conferences, concerts, sporting events and more. Finally, we offer 911 Notary, an on-call service to secure witness signatures on legal documents.
All our services are also available to other businesses.
Bringing Healthcare and Hospitality Together
My background in hospitality is shaping the new 911 Health experience. In the hotel business, we understand what it means to delight our guests. We believe that mindset goes a long way in delivering patient-centered care. 911 Health is bringing simplicity to healthcare, eliminating the friction between handoffs – a challenge that often means people delay or even forgo care.
In today’s advanced world, people deserve to get effective and efficient care. We’re replacing lost time in the system with convenience and timeliness. By creating an environment where you have more control over your health, we’re aiming to deliver better outcomes for everyone.
Steve Farzam is founder and COO of 911 Health. He has deep expertise in emergency medical services and hospitality.
