By Matt Roy, Independent Newsmedia

Residents and fire district personnel now have more health care options in Sun City West, including house calls for some.

North County Fire & Medical District officials announced at their March 24 regular meeting an expansion of services provided by the district’s nurse practitioner program, which is now entering its second phase.

“We had the nurse practitioner on board in November 2015,” said Rebecca Haro, NCFMD health and medical coordinator. “With the first services delivered starting in May 2106, phase 1 was the provision of employee physicals in accordance with NFPA standards.”

The National Fire Protection Association sets national standards for, among other things, annual physicals for fireman, EMTs and other front line emergency personnel. The required physical includes a stress test, EKG, vision and hearing test, cancer screening, functional movement, pulmonary function, cardiac risk assessment, blood panel draw and chest x-ray, among other tests.

All elements of annual physicals are now completed in-house by the nurse practitioner, except for the x-ray and lab work. All needed equipment is now available at the district’s auxiliary office located behind Fire Station 101, 19001 N. Camino del Sol.

“The annual physicals are due in July and I am reviewing those charts now,” said Mary Ellen Radosevich, NCFMD nurse practitioner.

Ms. Radosevich has been delivering health services for 36 years, with 20 years in the emergency room and 11 years in ER case management. She has been a nurse practitioner since 2010.

Including NCFMD staff, those brought into the district from Wittman in the 2016 consolidation, and those from Sun Lakes included in the recent Joint Powers Authority with that district, the nurse practitioner will complete up to 150 annual physicals.

Phase 2 of the program will provide in-home visits and resources to members of the community, but not in the manner of a traditional doctor’s office or health clinic. The nurse practitioner instead will provide follow-up on emergency calls within the district, Ms. Haro said.

“When emergency crews respond at a home, if they think the patient needs follow-up, the patient can use the nurse practitioner to get that follow-up in the home,” she said. “This is all about giving them a better quality of life in the safe comfort of their home where they want to be. To the best of my knowledge, we are the only fire agency in the West Valley that utilizes a nurse practitioner to provide patient care.”

For those with mobility issues, those who have difficulty getting transportation, or those who cannot get an appointment soon enough, the nurse practitioner can follow-up by phone or drop by to ensure patients are recovering and thriving. Sometimes those with the greatest needs are also those least able to ask the right questions or insist on being seen if they suspect something is going wrong, Ms. Radosevich said.

“Where I see a huge benefit is for those just getting home from the hospital,” she said. “For some I can stop in, for others I can often just make a few calls and get them what they need.”

Also as part of phase 2, doctors will be able to request in-home follow-up for their patients in Sun City West who may need attention following surgery or other treatment. Residents will not be able to drop in or schedule medical visits with the district, however.

The district is in talks to start providing appointments at The Madison, 18626 N. Spanish Garden Drive. In a few weeks, residents at the retirement home will be able to sign up ahead of time for one of five appointment slots to be conducted on site, Ms. Haro said.

The nurse practitioner will not replace the need for a primary care physician, but can address minor concerns, assess needs, check meds and make referrals as needed, Ms. Radosevich said.

The district has purchased and will shortly receive a 2017 Ford Transit van, which will be the dedicated service vehicle for the nurse practitioner program. The vehicle will not be an ambulance and will not have emergency lights or a siren. But it will be equipped with necessary supplies for home visits and a radio, according to Assistant Fire Chief Timothy Van Scoter.

The nurse practitioner’s van will be among the first vehicles to bear the new logo and markings of the Arizona Fire & Medical Authority, which is the new name of the combined NCFMD and Sun Lakes districts under the JPA, Mr. Van Scoter explained.

This is the second name change for the district in the past year, having formerly been known as the Sun City West Fire District. Once the final logo is approved, all vehicles within the combined JPA will bear the new markings, he said.

Those issues will be addressed — along with many others — when the JPA conducts its first ever joint public meeting 10 a.m. Monday, May 15 at NCFMD headquarters, 18818 N. Spanish Garden Drive. It is expected to be a long meeting, Mr. Van Scoter said.

Though community care may be new to the district, the concept has been adopted and well-studied elsewhere across the country and locally, Ms. Haro said.

“Mesa Fire & Medical has had a robust community integrated health care program for a few years now. It has been very successful and is a collaboration with a local area hospital to provide the nurse practitioner services,” she said.

As the new program grows in Sun City West, district officials will assess needs and consider expanding the program. If necessary, they may bring on an additional nurse practitioner, she said.

“As the demand of the nurse practitioner’s services grows, and if reimbursements will offset expenses, we will consider possible expansion of the program in the future, including a bigger service area, as well as expanded hours of service,” Ms. Haro said.

Visit www.ncfmd.az.gov.