By Irina Perry
Columbus, Ohio Mayor Andrew J. Ginther has announced plans to establish a Nurse Health Care Navigation Line, a new service that will work alongside Columbus’ existing 911 operations to ensure residents who call for medical help are connected to the right care at the right time.
The line is designed to help improve the outcomes of patients while ensuring the city’s emergency medical resources are utilized where they are most needed.
“Calling 911 will always be the right thing to do when someone needs help,” said Mayor Ginther.
“The new Nurse Health Care Navigation Line will help to ensure that when people reach out for medical assistance, they are guided to the appropriate level of care, whether that’s an ambulance, a nurse, or a faster connection to another medical option.”
In 2024 alone, Columbus Fire Rescue responded to nearly 145,000 emergency medical calls, yet data shows that many of those calls did not require emergency medical treatment.
- 65% of EMS calls did not result in any medical treatment being provided when emergency providers reached the scene.
- Of those that received care, only 55% of patients were transported to the emergency room.
When a 911 operator receives a call from someone detailing a medical issue, dispatchers will continue to use established medical protocols to assess the situation. When a call meets specific clinical criteria, the caller may be transferred to a registered nurse through the Nurse Health Care Navigation Line.
The nurse will assess the caller’s needs and help connect them to the most appropriate care option, which could include primary care, urgent care, telehealth visits, pharmacy services, behavioral health, substance abuse support, transportation assistance or self-care guidance.
If at any point the nurse determines emergency care is needed, the call will be immediately sent back to EMS for a response.
By reducing unnecessary transport and emergency room visits, the Nurse Health Care Navigation Line will help ensure that firefighters, paramedics and ambulances are available to attend to the situations where seconds matter most.
The process to identify a partner to provide medical triage and referral services began in June 2025. A review committee with representatives from the fire union, the city’s 911 center and the Department of Technology evaluated potential partners and recommended Crosswalk, Inc. as the service provider.
With negotiations now nearing completion, Mayor Ginther will submit legislation to Columbus City Council to move the program forward. If approved by Council, the Nurse Health Care Navigation Line is expected to launch approximately six months after the contract begins.
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