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Six months into the Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) program, the New Braunfels Fire Department celebrated a significant achievement by transitioning their first 911 super-utilizer to a life of self-sufficiency.

Fire Chief Ruy Lozano announced on August 15 that this milestone signifies six months without the need for 911 assistance from the individual, who had previously used the service over 20 times in 2023. Now, thanks to the MIH program’s support and guidance, this individual is living independently without official assistance.

The program, which was launched in January 2024, is housed out of Fire Station No. 2 in New Braunfels and is in collaboration with the McKenna Foundation. The program aims to alleviate the burden of 911 emergency services by addressing high volumes of non-emergency calls.

In 2023, officials received approximately 1,300 emergency calls from residents who frequently call, some dialing 20-30 times a year. These calls often involve non-emergency situations such as requests for transportation, healthcare access, or insurance issues.

The MIH program allows specialists to visit these callers regularly to address their healthcare needs. Through analyzing incoming calls, the MIH program intervenes when necessary to not only aid these individuals, but also avoid excessive use of emergency services, reduce costs, and provide resources that might not otherwise be available to them.

With the implementation of the program, there has been a notable decrease in 911 calls from the 58 identified frequent callers, and officials are optimistic about transitioning more participants towards self-reliance.